Posted on 06/06/2017 3:53:36 PM PDT by ebb tide
In 1992, the Vatican under Pope John Paul II published the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which stated, among many other things, that homosexual tendencies are objectively disordered. One of the principal theologians who shaped the document was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who would succeed John Paul II as Pope Benedict XVI. He too would take a hard-line stance against homosexuality.
Two decades later, Pope Francis has signaled what many believe to be a softening on the matter.
In 2013, when asked about gay priests, he famously replied, Who am I to judge? He has continued to call for the Catholic Church to treat LGBT people with dignity and respect, and to fight discrimination against sexual minorities.
But the church may be on the cusp of another baby step in this ongoing discussion with the publication of a new book by a popular Jesuit priest, James Martin: Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter Into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity.
Martin argues the church must move from a position of tolerance to inclusion when it comes to LGBT people. He criticizes the language of disorder from the catechism, calls on Catholics to stop firing LGBT people from church positions and frequently uses terms like gay and lesbian that many Catholic officials avoid.
RELATED: Top Vatican and US church officials back new gay-friendly book
The book carries with it a sense of authority. It was approved by Martins Jesuit superiors and is endorsed by two Catholic cardinals and a bishop. And Martin was recently appointed by Francis as consultant to the Vaticans Secretariat for Communication, which manages Vatican TV and radio as well as the popes social media presence.
I sat down with Martin to discuss his message, and he told me he isnt the only person connected to the Vatican who wishes to see the church move toward LGBT inclusion. Here we discuss what that looks like, how likely it is to happen and why he is putting his reputation on the line to fight for it.
Simply being LGBT is not sinful, according to Catholic teaching. Thats a common misconception. Even the catechism talks about welcoming them with respect, compassion and sensitivity, which is the genesis of the books subtitle. More basically, LGBT Catholics are baptized, and so theyre as much a part of the church as the pope. Sometimes when LGBT people tell me they feel like theyre being pushed out of the church, Ill say, Dont let anyone push you out. Its your church too.
Yes, and many parishes show what this means in practice. Of course, some parishes are more forward-thinking and have LGBT support groups, like the successful Out at St. Paul group at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York. But there are quieter ways of welcoming LGBT people mentioning them in homilies; encouraging them to participate as lectors, ministers of hospitality and in other parish ministries, and getting to know them personally. And, above all, listening to them.
Because those are the terms that LGBT people use. People have a right to name themselves. Its similar to the reason we no longer use terms like Negro. Why not? Because the African-American community opted for terms like African-American and black over time. Catholics are supposed to treat LGBT people with respect, and its disrespectful in the extreme to continue to use names that they not only dont use, but reject.
Im no theologian, but I would say that some of the language used in the catechism on that topic needs to be updated, given what we know now about homosexuality. Earlier, for example, the catechism says that the homosexual orientation is itself objectively disordered. But, as I say in the book, saying that one of the deepest parts of a person the part that gives and receives love is disordered is needlessly hurtful. A few weeks ago, I met an Italian theologian who suggested the phrase differently ordered might convey that idea more pastorally.
Absolutely. Over the past 20 years, Ive done what you might call an informal ministry with LGBT Catholics. Theyve come to me for spiritual counseling, confession and conversation. And theyve told me the most appalling stories of being ignored, excluded and insulted by priests and lay workers in their parishes. There is simply no group as marginalized in the Catholic Church as LGBT people. Sometimes theyre treated like lepers. So yes, I understand their pain.
I hope that the church would more fully embrace Jesus call to reach out to those on the margins, those who feel excluded. In the past, when it came to the LGBT community, we led with condemnations. Which is not what Jesus does. For Jesus it is, more often than not, a welcome first. Think of the story of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho, who would have been considered the chief sinner in the city. As hes passing through Jericho, Jesus sees him and says, Tonight, I must dine at your house! Its a public sign of welcome. That came first for Jesus, and thats what should come first for the church.
Most likely, some church leaders will think Ive gone too far, and some LGBT people will think I havent gone far enough. A few church leaders might find the call to stop firing LGBT people in same-sex marriages a challenge, and some LGBT Catholics might find my call to treat the hierarchy with respect a challenge. On the other hand, the book has been endorsed by two cardinals, one of them an official in the Vatican. So I think theres an opening here. And the LGBT people who have read it have thanked me for writing it. So something is changing in the church. Something new is happening. I think its the right time for a book like this.
>>both new franciscardinals and both from the U.S.
This isn’t the first time an occult gender-fluidish boil has festering into view upon the nose of the established theocracy.
http://duckduckgo.com/?q=Akhenaten+gender-identity
After Akhenaten’s escapade the eunuch’s returned things to occult order pretty quickly.
Same ol’ BS, different municipal outhouse.
I converted to Catholicism in 2004, but I have been a non-practicing Catholic for about 9 months. So much for the anti-Catholic nonsense...
As for The Church “withstanding such things”...in case you haven’t noticed. It isn’t withstanding them. You closing your eyes, putting your hands over your ears, and humming to drown out the world is merely living in denial. The Church is hierarchical and thus cannot resist change if the hierarchy demands it.
Is that the best you can do? Keep telling yourself that the Catechism hasn’t changed? You do realize they could print a revised edition at any time with updated/clarified terminology...much like the did to the Nicene Creed a few years ago.
Oh well, you pray for me and I’ll pray for you. We both need to pray for the Church because it’s in a hell of a lot of trouble right now from the top down.
Is that the bestbyou can do? This Pope gives communion to a few people wha are not catholic and that changes the religion?
Silly
Go back to sleep.
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