Posted on 03/09/2010 6:34:51 AM PST by marshmallow
A Catholic priest has apologised for joking during a sermon that true marriage can only be between Adam and Eve - not ''Adam and Steve''.
Reverend Frank Wainwright, 48, a Deacon at St Gregory's Church in Cheltenham, Glos., made the controversial comment during a Sunday service.
He was preaching on the theme of marriage when he claimed that same-sex civil partnerships are not considered as marriage by the Catholic church.
But his ''flippant joke'' sparked five complaints from his congregation and has been branded as homophobic by gay and lesbian rights groups.
Rev Frank Wainwright, who lives in Cheltenham, Glos., apologised for causing any offence and claimed he is not ''homophobic''.
He said: ''The sermon was about marriage and I have no idea why all this has come up but someone has obviously complained.
''The comment is obviously not homophobic and it was just intended as a joke. My duty is to preach what the church preaches that marriage is between a man and a woman.
''I have plenty of gay friends and I have no problem at all with them but as a Catholic minister I must preach that marriage is between a man and woman and nothing else.
''I'm sure there are gay members of my congregation and I imagine it's one of them who complained but it certainly wasn't the thrust of my sermon.
''I can see why people are upset by the comment because it was flippant. I totally accept that I have caused offence and I am apologising for that.''
Rev Frank Wainwright delivered the 15-minute sermon on marriage at St Gregory's Church on January 17 this year.
He told his 200-strong congregation: ''Sometimes in our families we have situations that either surprise us or are not ideal.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
failure priest
I find the word “homophobic” to be offensive.
What a wuss. Why on earth would be apologize?
Exactly what part of that statement is controversial?
Careful Father, you'll be accused of dirty language.
In other news, starting today DC will allow gay hetrophobic marriage.
Someone should explain to this reporter and his editor the difference between a priest and a deacon. One learns more about the reporter from the errors than the report itself.
The Deacon should apologize, not for standing against gay “marriage” but for using such an unoriginal and hackneyed joke. :-)
If I were a priest, I wouldn’t apologize for that statement because it’s factual and a matter of official teaching from the Church.
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Rev. Wainwright should file a complaint against gay and lesbian groups for their “heterophobia.”
Leave it to the media to not know the difference between a priest and a deacon....or anything about Christianity.
This comment would be so mild as to be beneath notice in my church, when our preacher fires off a sermon on gays he doesn’t sugarcoat things, his belief is if you want to know gods view on gays read Leviticus...
That says a lot.
Priests like that disappoint me. He is leading others down the wrong path.
No apologies should ever be needed when defending the teachings of Christ.
http://www.stthomasmorechurch.org.uk/fsnotices.htm
"Parish Priest - Canon Bosco MacDonald VF
Assistant Priest - Father Tom Smith
Deacon - Frank Wainwright"
Traditional marriage is now considered “controversial”, a development that would have been unthinkable even 10 years ago. The Progressive project has accelerated its efforts, and believe me, they already have a plan to deal with the coming reaction of traditionalists. Read Alinsky and you’ll see its outlines. Among its elements will be misdirection (making all manner of unrelated accusations against Christians and Orthodox Jews), ridicule (more of the same), and pushing even harder for ever more “change” (by continuing to define deviancy down to levels most people have scarcely considered).
Way to take a stand there, preach. Christianity is not for the spineless.
SnakeDoc
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