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.""
I ranted to my husband last night (he's such a good listener!) about this.
The Word of God is. Period. The church has no obligation to rewrite the word of God to appease a sinful lifestyle. If those who sin don't like being told they sin, they are free to leave the Church. The Church has an OBLIGATION to remain steadfast.
Sump'n like 'at...
My thoughts exactly! If they want women priests, why don't they just join the Episcopalian Church, or Lutheran or whatever? Why do they have to try to change my church to conform with their skewed views?
And the reason is?
Translated Headline:
Feminist, Homosexual Groups angry that Catholic Church is not embracing apostasy.
...or some other digit...maybe a vegetable?
I think we may be expecting too much from this pope.
Somehow I do not see a major housecleaning in the USA's church. In fact I could just see a catholic priest giving communition to kerry in order to "send a message".
Mark my words, some of these homo-enabler catholics are going to do something to challenge the authority of the pope. It will be a public show in order to demonstrate the weakness of the new pope.
(after they finish saying he is 78 and will die soon, they are going to start saying he is old and senile.)
ping
too conservative for his liking. too tied to orthodoxy.
"I can't think of a better endorsement of the new Pope!"
DITTO THAT!
More proof they made a good choice!
Absent other information, how is this pertinent?
(Personally, the Conclave of Cardinals e-mailed me for my approval prior to sending up the white smoke.)
Let us pray for their conversion of heart and embrace of chastity.
Ewww! If I started my day by looking at two faggots kissing it's bound to be a bad one! :(
because it is one more in the list of people not happy about the decision, as were several people/ groups mentioned in the article.
2 Timothy 3: 1-5
Good choice of verses. Regarding the article, I'm just about ready to do a happy dance. It just gets better and better :)
Well imagine that!
I guess it hasn't occurred to these folks that what they think doesn't matter one iota to the church as an institution.
The Catholic church has roughly 60 million adherents in the U.S. And I use the term "adherents" loosely. That's folks who identify themselves as Catholic. Perhaps half that number actually attend church on a regular basis. Anyway, of that 60 million Catholics, what percentage both agrees with the various outraged groups cited and is active and participating in the church? Maybe 1/10?
OK. So we're at maybe 6 million active U.S. Catholics who give two hoots and a holler what these groups think. And that's probably a very generous number. So out of a total of 1.1 Billion Catholics worldwide, we're talking less than 1%.
These groups are a noisy but very insignificant minority in the church. They could all choose to walk out the door tomorrow, and the church would make up their numbers in less than six months in Africa and Latin America. If they think they're somehow going to be able to "change" the church, they're deluding themselves.
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