Jesus took the hand of the adultress in John 8. He didn’t endorse her adultery.
Jesus supped with the tax collector Zaccheaus. He didn’t endorse his thievery.
Jesus had an audience with Nicodemus. He didn’t endorse his hypocrisy.
Jesus called Matthew to be his disciple. He didn’t endorse his illegal actions as a tax collector.
Jesus calls you and I to “leave our nets” and follow Him. He doesn’t endorse our sin—He wants us to LEAVE OUR SINFUL LIVES BEHIND.
I am not even Catholic, and I can see that. Francis, I presume, is reaching out to the lost soul who endorses sodomy—Francis is not endorsing sodomy.
It's Francis' sacred duty to STOP this priest from publicly endorsing sodomy, both for his own sake and to prevent him from leading other souls astray. "But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea". There have been no reports of this priest publicly repenting for leading little ones astray. The Pope kissing his hand will be widely interpreted as a sign of affirmation.
Agreed...Jesus loved the sinner, not the sin.
All of your examples turned away from their sin. Did this homosexual priest repent from his sin and heresy?
I believe it was Paul that taught, we have the right to judge other Christians, if they are sinning, we are to turn them away until they repent. When they repent, welcome them back with open arms. He spoke of this in Corinthians, the Corinthian church....
The folks that Jesus bestowed his hand, ate with, asked to follow him, etc were not yet Christians.
This priest who endorses homosexuality is not following the Lord, the Bible, etc. There is a difference, Jesus said, Go and sin no more”....
All those you mention repented. And they weren’t leaders.
To embrace an activist gay priest is repugnant. Millions of kids are watching and will think there’s nothing wrong with the lifestyle.
I don’t think you have the analogy correct.
If one of Jesus’ disciples were practicing the items you list he may have acted differently toward his disciple.
A more correct analogy would be if a non-leader came to the Pope and acted the way in which this priest has acted, then I believe your post would be correct. But we don’t have that.
We have a leader in the catholic church which is violating the requirements for being a leader, overtly sinning (I assume he is a practicing homosexual), and also encouraging others to do sin in like manner. Many verses which show that this individual needs to removed from his leadership, and possibly put out of the church.
Did Jesus “share the pulpit” with those sinners?
Did He kiss the sinners hands?