Bishop Gumbleton Criticizes Pope Benedict XVI in Homily

Cafeteria Closed ^ | September 22, 2006 | Gerald Augustinus

[NYer]

Always nice when a bishop criticizes the Pope in a homily:

In an example that's very timely, I think, and I say this with some hesitation because I'm going to talk about Pope Benedict. I think that's the problem that happened this week. He listened selectively to God's word, and when he proclaimed the message that he proclaimed this week -- what he said that would cause so much trouble, he discussed the Islamic concept of jihad, which he defined as "holy war," and he said that "violence in the name of religion is contrary to God's nature and to reason." And that's true, of course. Violence, killing, war goes against the whole understanding of God as love, and Benedict has heard that through the scriptures. It's so plain in the gospel message of Jesus. You can't miss if you listened at all.

But there's another short passage that Jesus proclaimed, that it seems to me if Pope Benedict had been thinking about this, he would have been much more careful in what he said.

Remember the part when Jesus is talking to the people who are correcting other people. He challenged them, "Look, you can see the speck in somebody else's eye, but you can't see the beam in your own eye!" If you look at others but don't look at yourself. Pope Benedict in speaking about Islam -- yes, at times, there has been those who have used it in a violent way, who spread their message through war, through killing. But you don't have to look very far into the history of the Christian religion to discover that we've done the same thing many, many times.

[NYer]

Bishop Gumbleton has spent his years of spiritual authority in the Catholic Church working to promote the homosexual lifestyle. He is affiliated with numerous gay activist organizations such as the Triangle Foundation, the Rainbow Sash Movement, and New Ways Ministry, SHARE, and Call to Action. In 1995 he received the Call to Action leadership award.

Rome Forces Homosexual Activist Bishop Gumbleton to Resign

Perhaps his is still peeved over this.

[catholicfreeper]

I do wonder where all the other American Bishops are in this. Their silence has been appalling.

[stm]

This guy should be excommunicated.

[Deo volente]

If the "good" bishop is retired, why is he allowed to spew this rubbish week after week from a Catholic pulpit?

If I were his Cardinal, I would say to the retired bishop, "With all due respect, Your Excellency, GET LOST!"

[pgkdan]

But you don't have to look very far into the history of the Christian religion to discover that we've done the same thing many, many times.

This bishop is an ass and I challenge him to cite just 1 time in the 2000 year history of the Church where the Catholic Church waged war to force conversions at the point of a sword. Just one example.

[netmilsmom]

This was one of the comments from the blog.....
"I agree that Bp. Gumbleton is doing a lot of damage because of the concept that "he's a Catholic bishop, so what he says must be right..."

Also, see Kasia's above comment about Cardinal Maida being the right person to lead Detroit through Together in Faith and the sex abuse crisis. He is a good man, and I believe he is a loyal son of the Church. But dealing with Bp. Gumbleton and his minions has not been Cd. Maida's strong point.

I have heard 3 rumors about who our next archbishop will be, and all 3 of them have me drooling. I'm saying a lot of prayers that we end up with an archbishop who will finally throw open the doors and get the stench of patchouli out of the parish of SS. Peter, Paul and Mary.

Puff, the magic dragon..."

Anyone have a clue who she has heard about???

[It's me]

OH MY GOSH!!!

What a sad man.

[TheCrusader]

"But you don't have to look very far into the history of the Christian religion to discover that we've done the same thing many, many times."

Bishop Gumby is a revisionist. Time and again these Christian leaders who apologize for the Church's past 'sins' never give all the details of the how and the why. The Crusades were called by the Pope to stop an evil that was devouring the earth, islam. The Spanish Inquisition was similar in nature; after 400 years of islamic conquest and submission of Catholics, Spain finally threw off the evil yoke. But thousands of muslims had falsely converted to Christianity to remain on as subversives, spies and insurgents. Priests were being murdered, and Spain had, rightfully so, no desire to toy around with islamic thugs anymore. They had to be uncovered and expelled, jailed or killed.

What really riles me about these self loathing Christian leaders is that they never bother to talk about the fact that Christianity teaches peace, love, forgiveness and sacrifice, while islam teaches hatred and conquest. So when Christians act poorly they cannot honestly do so under the banner of our faith, but muslims kill and terrorize because of their faith.

[nickcarraway]

Good point, bishop. Maybe you should become a Muslim.

[NYer]

I do wonder where all the other American Bishops are in this. Their silence has been appalling.

The current issue of my diocesan rag ... er, newspaper arrived yesterday. The top story? "Called to be Church" - All parishes in the Albany Diocese have been asked by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard to host two "town meetings" -- one in October and one in November -- as preparation for Called to be Church, the two-year-long effort to envision the future of the Albany Diocese.

Nada, zip, nothing about the threats on the Holy Father.

Like you, I am appalled at the catholic silence. Only Australian Cardinal Pell has stood up and spoken out in defense of the Pope, as far as I know.

[Suzy Quzy]

Cowards....or worse.

[dfwgator]

This guy should be excommunicated.

Pronto.

[NYer]

This bishop is an ass and I challenge him to cite just 1 time in the 2000 year history of the Church where the Catholic Church waged war to force conversions at the point of a sword. Just one example.

You are not alone. Here's someone who has given him an award.

Rev. Thomas Reese

This Official Weenie wins 1st place in the Weenie Roast due to his limp-wristed hand wringing over the recent flare-up regarding the Pope and the Muslims:

"I think his problem is that he's a German academic who hasn't realized yet he's a pope," said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese of the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

"There's certain things that an academic can say and have intellectual, unemotional discussions of. ... He's an extremely bright man, but he doesn't have any street smarts."

Maybe no "street smarts", but he certainly has "Catholic smarts", which is something this Reese character wouldn't know if it kicked him in the rear end.

 

Bishop Gumbleton

Recently, Bishop Gumby - uh, Gumbleton, stated the following in a homily:

If you look at others but don't look at yourself. Pope Benedict in speaking about Islam -- yes, at times, there has been those who have used it in a violent way, who spread their message through war, through killing. But you don't have to look very far into the history of the Christian religion to discover that we've done the same thing many, many times.

If they hate the Faith so much, why do they stay?  Oh, yea, that's right, if they left they'd have to get a job and support themselves. 

[brooklyn dave]

OH Gumby is at it again? Not surprised. All these folks that are jumping on the Pope's adress at Regensburg---have they read the speech before frothing at the mouth? It really isn't all that long--even I read it. If taken in context or as a whole, it is a critique of the place of reason in Christian faith. except for the the one mention of the quote by the Byzantine Emperor to the learned Persian, Allah, Mohammed, Islam or even jihad is not ever mentioned in the rest of the address.
As far as Gumby being supportive of gay Catholic organizations, I believe his brother was gay and that explains his sympathy----but as a bishop I believe one has to be careful in how that sympathy is expressed.

[livius]

Someone told me that the USCCB issued a statement yesterday, signed by Skylstead, that said - absolutely nothing. I haven't seen it myself, but it shows you what kind of losers we're dealing with here: it takes them almost two weeks to get together and decide to say nothing.

In any case, I'd be willing to bet that a lot of them would be more on Gumbleton's side than the Pope's. Color me cynical perhaps.

[technochick99]

I was surprised and a little dismayed that no additional or special words for the Pope were said at Mass this Sunday. Better silence than this though...

[catholicfreeper]

Your right of course. Also if the Bishops wanted their statement ot get press they could have done that also

[livius]

I doubt that poor Gumby was even bright enough to understand what the Pope said. He has always struck me as an extraordinarily dim bulb, even in a whole basket full of dim bulbs.

[Deo volente]

Nada, zip, nothing about the threats on the Holy Father.

To many American bishops, the pope is just a reactionary old man who lives in the Vatican, and makes himself a nuisance every so often when he tries to interfere with the glorious reform of the American church.