Posted on 10/02/2023 7:02:11 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
ROME—Pope Francis softened the Vatican’s ban on blessing same-sex couples, saying that priests may use their discretion in giving such blessings, so long as they don’t imply a same-sex union is equivalent to a heterosexual marriage.
The pope’s statement, in a letter released by the Vatican on Monday, marks a significant shift in the Catholic Church’s stance on blessing gay relationships. Its release comes on the eve of a major Vatican meeting that will consider possible changes to church teaching and practice on matters such as homosexuality and women’s ordination.
Catholic priests in Germany and some other northern European countries have for years held ceremonies to bless same-sex couples, in defiance of a Vatican ban. The issue has contributed to the deepening polarization between progressive and conservative tendencies in the global church.
Francis has taken a conciliatory approach toward gay people, without formally changing church teaching. He endorsed civil unions for same-sex couples in a 2020 documentary film, worrying many conservatives that he was signaling a liberalization of doctrine.
This month’s synod is a major part of Francis’ effort, after a decade in office, to consolidate his progressive legacy. On Wednesday, the opening day of the synod, the Vatican is also scheduled to release a new papal document on environmental concerns.
Francis’ letter was a reply to a letter from conservative cardinals, including U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke and Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who raised questions relating to the synod, including how much authority it will have.
Among the cardinals’ questions was whether the blessing of same-sex unions can be consistent with Catholic teaching, which holds that gay people “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity” but that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered,” the inclination to perform them is “objectively disordered” and “under no circumstances can they be approved.”
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
But he said that priests, acting out of pastoral charity and not as “judges who only deny, reject, exclude,” should aim to discern “whether there are forms of blessing, requested by one or more people, that do not convey a misconception of marriage.” He added that such pastoral charity should apply even in situations “that from an objective point of view are not morally acceptable.”
The pope suggested that such blessings should remain an unofficial practice, writing that such exercises of “pastoral prudence in certain circumstances need not be transformed into a norm.”
A Satanist pope. Quite an accomplishment.
There are some conservative church leaders left?
As Aunt Esther once said “God shall smite thee! But I can’t wait. Fred, why don’t we both beat the hell out of him right now?”
Not equivalent? That is what an abomination that leveled Sodom and Gomorrah is now, not equivalent but informally "blessed" nonetheless? Rather, any who affirm any homosexual union is affirming an extreme perversion of what God ordained.
God made man and women distinctively different yet uniquely compatible and complementary, and only joined them together in marriage - as the Lord Jesus Himself specified (Mt. 19:4–6) - and Scripture only condemns homosexual relations wherever they are manifestly dealt with.
And homosexual relations have been tragically primarily responsible for approx. 80% of new HIV cases among men and over 700,000 American deaths, though such is not even the decisive reason why homosexual relations are wrong.
Yet there is still room at the cross for all who will come to God in repentance and faith, and trust in the Divine Son of God sent by the Father, the risen Lord Jesus, to save them on His account, by His sinless shed blood, and thus be baptized and live for Him. Acts 10:36-47
No, this is not Pope Francis against “conservative church leaders”. This is Pope Francis against the Word of God.
I’m not surprised.
With this “church” you need a program just to stay up on what you can/can’t do - just to stay ready for an uncertain eternity.
We have 2000 years of solid doctrine to rest on even when the Pope is a complete lunkhead. To wit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sins_that_cry_to_Heaven_for_Vengeance
I don’t need no program, except to stay with what the Church has always taught and to ignore the folly that comes from this man’s mouth.
He must be getting impatient about “marrying” his secret boyfriend.
“ We have 2000 years…”
Oh! Sure!
Uh huh!
Right!
OK!
Sure thing!
Obviously!
Canon 919 of the Code of Canon Law states that those who will be receiving communion must fast from all food and beverages other than water for at least one hour prior to reception.
The fasting time frame used to be longer, Fr. Paul Hedman of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis told Fox News Digital.
“For a long time, this fast was from midnight — ‘breakfast’ is when you ‘broke the fast,’” said the Roman Catholic priest. “In recent times, this was reduced to three hours and now one hour prior to receiving communion,” he said.
In practice, this means that Catholics who will be receiving communion should not eat or drink about 20 minutes prior to the start of Mass, he said.
“While no Church law prevents someone who isn’t receiving communion from eating or drinking at Mass, it would be unseemly for anyone to do so other than young children, as the sanctuary and nave of a Catholic Church are spaces consecrated specifically for worship,” said Fr. Hedman.
You definitely NEED a program.
There is no charity in "accompanying" people on the highway to Hell.
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