Posted on 05/24/2015 4:20:11 AM PDT by NYer
A fellow named Danny Smith posted a street scene of Dublin on Twitter late afternoon on Saturday. In the background was a glimpse of that celestial phenomenon that appears after a storm, at the other end of which, it is said, there's a pot of gold.
"There's a big gay rainbow over Dublin," Smith tweeted. "If that's not Jesus giving the Yes vote I don't know what is."
Danny Boy can be forgiven for his hyperbole. Though his Twitter page identifies him as being a resident of Manchester, England, he's joining in the enthusiasm being demonstrated in streets, squares and pubs throughout Irelandand on social media.
The Yes vote has triumphed, making the Republic of Ireland the first nation in the world to open the institution of marriage through a plebiscite, not an act of a legislature or a court ruling, to members of the same sex. The New York Times reports:
**the days of the Catholic Church being against homosexuality is coming to an end.**
I beg to disagree. The Catholic Church has stood against homosexuality for 2000 years. It’s not going to buckle under now.
“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
If a church tells the people who to vote for, they lose their tax-free status.
Archbishops and any priest or the Pope can speak to issues, but they can not endorse candidates for this reason.
They went Gay-lick.
The few percent of Protestants in the Republic don’t really matter, but as most of them are Anglican, no doubt they were mostly on board with the gay stuff.
Northern Ireland, by contrast, doesn’t currently have gay marriage like the rest of the UK, but pressure is building rapidly.
If it wasn’t for all the Poles who have moved to Ireland, I don’t think they’d have any Catholics left.
Unfortunately, these stories generally leave aside the true foundational problem in the event, at least as concerns the Catholic Church. It is often noted that there were weak bishops and pastors who failed to educate or lead their sheep towards the appropriate faith-based response. Usually we are given examples of poor education by Catholic institutions that, it is implied, has led to outcomes such as this. But these approaches all miss the most basic truth element behind these problems, and that is, regardless of who says what and when, the Church no longer has any moral authority.
I would ask people to think about it this way. If you knew a man who beat his wife, and cheated on her constantly, would you go to him for advice on virtuous living? The most fundamental aspect of the Church’s life is the Mass. The liturgy is the core of the deposit of faith and the center of our daily life. And yet, how does the Church treasure that, the highest element of its worship and the presence of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ among us? Well, simply put, it doesn’t. It is a throw away. The liturgical life of the Church is a shambles. It is virtually impossible to find something that even comes close to impersonating reverence in a Mass these days. And, given the miserable conditions of the life of worship in this Church, how does the hierarchy respond? Silence. Or, more often, with open contempt for the sacred. And this in regards to what these very men hold up as the zenith of our spiritual life.
What this means is that the Church has become an institution which ignores or even despises that which it claims to hold as its most fundamental belief. Would you trust an organization like that? Would you listen to anyone from that institution for advice on how to live according to the faith? No, of course not. And because the actual example set by the Church is how to ignore your beliefs and act only according to your financial or secular interests there is no possible hope that it can offer any actual leadership regarding moral issues. This is why there is no point, ultimately, in looking to the Church when it comes to abortion, marriage, euthanasia, etc. Until the Church can rediscover its Eucharistic faith and actually begin to restore its worship to the place it now only gives only lip-service there is no reason to even consider it as a compass for moral teaching. It just has nothing to contribute in those discussions.
You do realize that he largest percentage of “christians” in Ireland is protestant. 48% protestant to 42% Catholic.
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“You do realize that......”
Your right. I did look it up and according to the 2011
census your right but there is a rise in Catholics and an decline
in Protestants happening. In Belfast, Catholics outnumber
Protestants.
You also have to keep in mind that John Kerry and Nancy Pelousy self identify as Catholic but are Catholics in name only. I am pretty sure you will find similar percentage around the world in those that may identify, but don’t follow the Church teachings.
Vile and nonsensical statement. The Church is perfect but is made up of sinners like you and me. The Church is Christ's bride (Ephesians 5:29) and has "no spot, wrinkle or blemish" (Ephesians 5:27). Christ also stated that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18) so how can the Church commit error? Individual clergy may commit sins, even popes commit sins because in the Church there are both "weeds and wheat" (Matthew 13:30).
Grandpa is rolling in his grave.
Yes, but you have to be extremely vigilant in finding the right church, and the right Priest. There are still some strong men in the Church, fighting for the Faith.
The place to start is the Latin Mass, if you're lucky enough to live near one.
The perfect gay marriage in Ireland: PATRICK FITZGERALD AND GERALD FITZPATRICK.
Christ also stated that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18) so how can the Church commit error?
I am sorry, but that is quite simply just ridiculous. Nothing about the gates of hell promise suggests that the leadership of the Church will always be guaranteed perfect prudence and wisdom in all matters of faith life. The Church has certainly never suggested such a reading.
You admit that popes can sin, but that only scratches the surface. Popes can sin, and they can be bad leaders. They can promote error personally, and encourage ineffectual teaching and leadership in others. And other prelates can do the same. Look at Germany where the entire leadership of the local church looks headed for schism. Does God promise that the Church in Germany will never commit error? Nope, not at all. And what of the Church in Europe? Could it fall into error? Yep. Any of this and more is possible without the gates of hell prevailing.
The reality is that there are no promises from God that the Church will not collectively fail to promote a proper and true Eucharistic faith. And any honest appraisal of the recent history of the Church will be forced to admit that. Yes, there are very specific dogmatic protections, but since I have never argued that any dogmatic errors have been committed that does not have any bearing. The truly vile and nonsensical argument is that nothing the Church does is ever less than perfectly sound, which naturally leads those who can see to assume that the gates of hell prevailed and so the Church itself is a lie. A very dangerous suggestion.
Yes, but you have to be extremely vigilant in finding the right church, and the right Priest. There are still some strong men in the Church, fighting for the Faith.
Absolutely there are, but that doesn't shift the need to recognize what is going on and why the Church has ceased to be effective witness to moral truths. Until the Church more fully reflects the devotion and reverence that we find now only in tiny isolated places she will be unable to influence people in these matters. You cannot have moral authority and be less than fully true to what you claim to believe.
AMEN. You cannot preach from the gutter and tell others they are on the low road.
The Republic of Ireland has last been reported to be 84.2% Catholic. Where are you getting your numbers?
Google.
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