I'm Shocked!!
Posted on 04/20/2005 8:41:17 AM PDT by SkyPilot
(CNSNews.com) - American Catholics who want major changes in the church are not happy with the election of a "hard-line" pope who backs longstanding Catholic doctine.
The Women's Ordination Conference, a Catholic feminist organization working for the ordination of women priests, said the church desperately needs a healer, but the cardinals have elected a divider: "This is another example of how the hierarchy is out of touch with Catholics in the pews," said Joy Barnes, executive director of the Women's Ordination Conference.
According to the WOC, recent polls show that over two-thirds of U.S. Catholics support women's ordination, yet Ratzinger has repeatedly stated his firm opposition to women priests.
"Cardinal Ratzinger's election as pope will galvanize faithful Catholics to work even more passionately for a renewed priesthood that includes women," said Aisha Taylor, WOC's program director.
"We pray for Pope Benedict XVI to lead the Roman Catholic Church toward reconciliation for the church's sins of abuse, sexism, racism, heterosexism and all oppression. We trust the Holy Spirit will continue to work in our church to fulfill Jesus' radical message of justice."
"Rigid''
The National Coalition of American Nuns noted that the new pope has the reputation of being "rigid in his position as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, silencing and expelling theologians, priests and nuns whom he perceived as not being orthodox.
"He certainly is not known for his sensitivity to the exclusion of women in the Church's leadership," the nuns said in a statement.
The group said it would pray for a miracle - that Pope Benedict XVI "will, like the Benedictines, be hospitable and welcome all persons.
"We pray that he will be open to the full partnership and full participation of women in a church that suffers because of the lack of women's creativity and lived experience. We do believe in miracles," the National Coalition of American Nuns concluded.
"Distressing''
A number of homosexual advocacy groups expressed the Catholic Church''s future treatment of homosexual and transgender people.
DignityUSA, which bills itself as the "voice for gay, lesbian, and transgender Catholics," reacted with "dismay" to the elevation of Cardinal Ratzinger.
"The new Pope is seen as the principal author of the most virulently anti-gay, anti-GLBT rhetoric in the last papacy," said DignityUSA President Sam Sinnett.
"The elevation of Cardinal Ratzinger is being seen by many GLBT Catholics as a profound betrayal by the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and betrayal of one of the most fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ as the loving Good Shepherd who reached out to the ones separated from the flock."
Sinnett called the election of the new pope a test of faith: "We express deep sadness for all those who will find themselves further alienated from the church because of Cardinal Ratzinger's assumption of the papacy. With their support and that of all our members and allies, we will re-double our efforts to speak the truth of our lives as faithful GLBT Catholics."
DignityUSA called on its members to enter into a "period of prayer for the church and the world" from now until Pentecost, which will be celebrated on May 15th. "Pentecost is the feast of the birth of the church," said Sinnett. "We pray that this Pentecost may be a time of rebirth."
"We hope that Pope Benedict XVI will follow the biblical tradition of expressing love and compassion for all," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a statement.
"In the past, he has made deeply disturbing comments regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people so his selection as the 265th pope is distressing. It's imperative that there be a positive conversation with the Catholic Church about GLBT people of faith and we welcome that discourse."
The Human Rights Campaign noted that in 1986, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger delivered a Letter to the bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons. He wrote, "Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil."
"Disappointment''
The Triangle Foundation, which serves Michigan''s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and allied communities, said the new pope has been among "the most virulent, hard-line doctrinaire conservatives, especially on the issue of choice, gay and lesbian inclusion and acceptance and most of the other "social'' issues faced by the Catholic Church.
"This elevation can only be a disappointment to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics and others of us who observe and monitor the Church''s activism," said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of the Triangle Foundation.
"Based on his history and his demagoguery it is nearly impossible to imagine that this new Pope will usher in an era of reconciliation and welcome. Ratzinger has been the author and voice of oppression and attack on GLBT people."
"Homophobic''
The Rev. Troy D. Perry, a homosexual activist and moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, expressed a "deep sadness that one of the world's most homophobic religious leaders has been elevated to the papacy, and regret that his policies will continue to devalue the rich spiritual gifts of LGBT people and women of faith.
"My faith teaches that all people can change, so my prayers today are that the eyes of Cardinal Ratzinger -- now Pope Benedict XVI -- will be opened to the unique giftedness and blessing that LGBT people can be to the church.
"And my prayers today are with my brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church, and those whose lives will be harmed by church policies that treat LGBT people with less than unconditional acceptance and dignity.""
These people see the bible and God's word as a "living document" the same way they try to turn the constitution of the US into a "living document" when in truth neither one is. The constitution was written to mean what it says for all time or until the people changed it with amendments, the bible was written to mean what is says for all time without change at all. Neither document is open to interpretation. Sin is sin and will be forever, not to be changed by modern times. Either believe or don't go to church.
One news guy on WRKO Boston actually summed up the situation at the newsbreak as "some think he is too orthodox"!
Il Papa should help them on their way out.
Huh?
I said the same thing when I read that line. They need to elucidate on that a little.
Gives a whole new spin on the old saw, "Is the Pope Catholic?"
If these apostate "Catholics" want to go someplace where they can sin to their hearts' content, let them try the Unitarians.....as I understand it, the Unitarians don't have the concept of sin. But that wouldn't suit the groups the media are going to to slander our Pope. Those groups want nothing less than the destruction of the Catholic Church!
This is one Catholic who won't allow that to happen.
I'd rather see him return to the comfort of the armored limousine. That popemobile worked for one man... and one man only. Let us kill that little tradition before it gets started. Because it is kind of ridiculous.
Not saying he can't have a clear topped bulletproof limo... just not that silly papamobile.
that works for me. Informs but doesn't give specifics. The media is going out of their way to try and make it look like everybody hates the guy. Some disagree with him. Most don't.
I believe that is a discredited statistic and the real estimate is 2-3%. I can't cite, maybe someone here can help.
So what! I'm sure Satan isn't happy either, but then the feminazies and sodomites are his 'useful idiots' anyway so naturally they're only following the direction of their master.
actually, I was intending to show that he is another representative of this minority.
If these types of scumball groups dislike the Pope, then you know the church made a great decision.
I pray for the new pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church toward helping gay activists recognize their heterophobia and to shatter the illusion leftists gay and straight have that the primary purpose of sex is anything BUT reproduction, and that pregnancy and children are a tragic side effect thereof.
actually even better. The homosexual advocates in their Lawrence Case Briefs before the USSC admitted the max homosexual population at any given time is 2.7%.
They did not indicate if they counted the prison population as part of that number.
There are others who consider even that number as inflated since homosexuals go by a rule similar to the "on drop of blood" race rule. Homosexuals go by the one homsexual act rule. Thus a person raped in prison would be counted as a homosexual.
....GEE, what would those be???
Agreed.
Why attend a church that you don't believe in it's teachings-CINO's??
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