Posted on 02/19/2007 9:56:10 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Homosexual rights campaigners have gained permission from the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to hold Mass for gay parishioners.
While the Church has allowed celibate gays to receive holy communion, traditionalist Catholics believe that practising homosexuals should be barred from the sacramental rite because their way of life defies Church teaching.
Now, however, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has taken the controversial step of allowing fortnightly Masses in his Westminster diocese specifically for homosexuals.
A statement from the diocese stressed that the move did not represent a shift in Church teaching, which says that homosexual practice is a sin and that non-celibate gay people should not be given communion.
However, traditionalists fear that by endorsing these services the Cardinal has implicitly sanctioned "sacrilegious" Masses and that it may make it far easier for practising homosexuals to take communion in church. It is also thought that the move could act as a blueprint for other dioceses to follow.
"The mission of the Church is to minister to all people," said the statement from the archdiocese. "The Church utterly condemns all forms of unjust discrimination, violence, harassment or abuse directed against people who are homosexual."
Sources close to the Cardinal said he was keen to authorise the services in order to be more inclusive of the gay community. It represents an attempt to end tension between the Cardinal's office and the Soho Masses Pastoral Council, an influential group of gay Catholics who had campaigned to have their own services formally recognised by the Church.
They will hold their first official service at Our Lady of the Assumption in Soho, London, next month after having met for the past eight years in an Anglican church in west London.
A leading gay Catholic campaigner claims that the Cardinal had to obtain the backing of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome, the most powerful of the Vatican's departments, before taking his sensitive decision.
Mark Dowd, the chairman of Quest, a liberal group, said that the statement issued by the Cardinal was repeatedly rejected before gaining final approval.
Senior Catholics fear the Cardinal's decision will upset traditionalists. He had previously received complaints that the unofficial Masses held under the auspices of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement were being used to campaign for a change in the Church's teaching on homosexual practice.
"Homosexuals can attend their own parish church, so having a separate and distinct Mass looks like they are trying to make a statement," said Michael Akerman, of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, a traditionalist Catholic group.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is a notoriously liberal cardinal and it is highly doubtful that he received permission from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to grant permission for this "gay" Mass. I would not give any credence to a self-serving statement made by a "leading gay Catholic [sic] campaigner."
Look for the Vatican to issue a statement condemning this nonsense.
Let's reword this.
Practicing Catholics believe that practicing homosexuals, who are in a state of mortal sin according to the Church, should not be allowed Communion because nobody who is in a state of mortal sin should go to Communion because it's considered blasphemy to do so.
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
And that is what some of you were.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God
--1 Corinthians 6:9b-11
Just my humble opine...
But the same love of God, and His mercies, and life-transforming grace remains readily available to these who are found in extraordinary patterns of clearly sinful behavior.
The key to releasing these Kingdom resources of true salvation is a sincere awareness and conviction of sins -- a transparent confession and heart-felt repentance before God -- and a hunger and thirst for righteousness...
A personal knowledge of Jesus Christ truly changed me... healed me.. delivered me...saved me... continues to guide me and protect me and provide for my walk of faith...
The Bible is quite clear that these (homosex) sin patterns are behaviors... NOT a genetic or otherwise biophysical identity.
The identities are self-affirmed -- and peer-group affirmed...
THISSSSSsssss... is THE argument with the cultural apologists that we are losing -- because we haven't continually begged the right questions.
As long as we entertain the lie that these particular kinds of brokenness "cannot be changed" we are denying the power of God.
We are therefore adding some high-speed express lanes to the straight and narrow pathway (Matthew 7:13-14 refers)... thereby re-creating the wide gate and broad road that leads to (their) destruction --
...And those commissioned of the Lord to teach the Word will be held to high accountability for rebuilding the broad-way -- and helping them live the lie (with quite deadly and eternal consequences).
The most beneficial ministry to these souls trapped in an extraordinary and demonic lie is to tell them the Gospel truth --
With great compassion and understanding -- offering them The Lord's mercy and the power of God unto salvation --
God's complete deliverance by the Spirit into God's life-gving and life-keeping grace...
JMHO...
Nice day
Why is a special Mass even needed? If one is a celibate homosexual then one is welcomed at any Mass. If one is a non celibate homosexual then a special mass makes a mockery of Christ's sacrifice.
I understand there is benefit in even the most bold of sinner hearing God's word but if this Mass implies that non repentant sinners are free to receive the Eucharist then the Cardinal needs his head straightened out by the Pope.
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