Archbishop Appeals to Parents: Accept Your LGBTQ Children as God Does

Two European archbishops offered LGBTQ-positive remarks to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), which was celebrated this past Tuesday.

In Malta, Archbishop Charles Scicluna encouraged parents to accept LGBTQ children as a mandate of the Gospel. Newsbook reported:

“‘My appeal to parents is this: accept your children as God the Father has done. Jesus is looking at your children – as he looks at each and every one of us – when he tells us that he is giving us a new commandment to love one another,’ the Archbishop said.

“The same commandment, he continued, also required us to consider the way in which refugees are treated. . .

“John’s account of Jesus giving the new commandment to his disciples after the Last Supper – with his death imminent – was the gospel of the Fifth Sunday of Easter. In the Archbishop’s view, this commandment was the most precious gift Jesus shared with the world, and one that should guide the way people related to one another.

“‘It feels like Jesus is telling us: if I have come on earth for one thing, it is to show you the way of love,’ the Archbishop said.”

Scicluna has been an LGBTQ-positive voice among the hierarchy for more than several years now, as well as holding high positions at the Vatican. He participated in IDAHOBIT events as early as 2014. In February of this year, he met with LGBTQ advocates in Malta and rebuked a priest who made anti-gay comments, going so far as to threaten the priest with sanctions if the harmful rhetoric continued. In 2013, while he was an auxiliary bishop, he called for the church to respect gay people. He gave a soft defense oflove in same-gender relationships, saying at one point, “Love is never a sin. God is love.” Scicluna did not punish –and even affirmed– the LGBTQ outreach ministry of a priest who blessed a same-gender couple’s union in 2015. He has said the church should apologize to LGBTQ people (though opposed civil unions), and he condemned “conversion therapy” with an apology for a church report which had supported it.

In Italy, Archbishop Corrado Lorefice of Palermo issued a prayer for IDAHOBIT that asked for Catholics to “commit ourselves to distance ourselves from all prejudice and discrimination, from all fear that it causes enemies to be identified and walls to be built.” He continued, also referencing parents (via Google Translate):

“And so that a culture of respect and acceptance may spread and each one – regardless of sexual orientation – is recognized as a person and knows the closeness and boundless love of God, let us allow ourselves to be provoked by the face furrowed by tears but full of tenderness of many mothers and fathers who carry the burden of labor and discrimination of their children.

“May they provoke us in building fraternal and synodal Christian communities, open to welcome, where everyone can be listened to, accompanied and valued. May they be a living memory of the reflections of the maternal and paternal face of God who always welcomes home and celebrates the expected and rediscovered children.

“May they help us clear the hearts of the boulders that we are ready to throw, so that they return to being hearts of flesh animated by the vital Breath of God’s love, capable of recognizing and loving how God loves.”

Lorefice previously led an ecumenical service for IDAHOBIT back in 2018, saying at the time, “we firmly deplore that homosexual persons have been and are still subjected to malicious expressions and violent actions.” For a number of years now, IDAHOBIT vigils have been held at Catholic parishes in several Italian cities, including Palermo.

We are living in a Genesis 19:9 world...

"Get out of our way,” they replied.
“This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge!
We’ll treat you worse than them.”
They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

The Health Risks of gay sex.

And now, a BIBLICAL Message about homosexuality

Genesis 13:13

Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

Genesis 18:20-21
20. Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
21. that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

Genesis 19:4-7
4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom--both young and old--surrounded the house.
5. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6. Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him
7. and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing.

Leviticus niv

18:22 Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

20:13 If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.

They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Psalms 12:8 The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Isaiah 3:9 The look on their faces testifies against them;

they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.

Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.

================================================

2 Peter 2:13b Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.

They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

================================================

Ezekiel 16:49-50 "`Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:

She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

They were haughty and did detestable things before me.

Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

Romans 1 New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

18 The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse; 21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 While claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for the likeness of an image of mortal man or of birds or of four-legged animals or of snakes.

24 Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 Therefore, God handed them over to degrading passions. Their females exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God handed them over to their undiscerning mind to do what is improper. 29 They are filled with every form of wickedness, evil, greed, and malice; full of envy, murder, rivalry, treachery, and spite.

2 Peter 2

1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5. if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
6. if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
7. and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8. (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
9. if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
10. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
11. yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
12. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

What kind of a people are we;

that we allow men dressed in womens clothes

to pervert the minds of little children?

But there IS hope!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11. 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.

If you could NOT change, you would be in most pitiful shape...

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.