Posted on 12/23/2023 8:36:18 PM PST by SeekAndFind
If you have followed my writing and speaking over the decades, you will know that Catholicism has not been a focus of my ministry, either praising it or criticizing it. At the same time, I recognize the important role of the Catholic Church in standing for the sanctity of life and the meaning of marriage. That’s what makes the recent pronouncement of Pope Francis, allowing priests to “bless” same-sex couples, especially distressing. What act of apostasy will be next?
My Catholic colleague John Zmirak wrote on Tuesday, “Today I got one of those emails nobody wants to receive. You know, the ones where a journalist informs you that the leader of your church has authoritatively endorsed grave, unrepented sin; mocked not just timeless and current church teaching but the natural law itself; and opened up faithful clergy to persecution by the State. And by the way, would you like to comment?” (Later in his article, Zmirak references “Pope Francis’ poisonous reign of error.”)
Specifically, quoting from the Washington Times, “Pope Francis on Monday approved letting priests bless same-sex couples, sparking criticism from conservative Catholics and praise from the LGBTQ community.
“Such blessings would not rise to the level of church-sanctioned same-sex marriages, the Vatican cautioned, but would offer gay Catholics the opportunity to seek God’s mercy without being subjected to ‘an exhaustive moral analysis.’
“The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the declaration, ‘Fiducia supplicans,’ with the pope’s approval but not his signature less than three months after a papal letter said such blessings were possible so long as they ‘do not transmit a wrong conception of marriage.’”
This is not just a step in the wrong direction. It is theological double-talk, spiritual drivel, and a mockery of the Word of God. Surely, faithful Catholics around the world will reject this apostate message. It has no support in Scripture, in divine morality, or in historic Church tradition, whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant.
And so, rather than try to parse the theological nuances of the Pope’s statement, which in the end helps no one and harms many, let me be straightforward.
No priest or Pope or pastor or spiritual leader can bless something that God Himself does not bless. Their words are empty and void of divine power or authority. They are human utterances and nothing more.
As much as a gay couple may be in love, as much as they may revere the traditions of their Church (at least, some of the traditions), and as much as they may be models of kindness and loyalty, the fact is that male + male or female + female represents a fundamental violation of the meaning of marriage, not to mention a fundamental violation of the nature and purpose of humanity.
How then can a priest bless a couple whose very relationship goes against the order and plan of God? And, speaking in particular of two gay men, how can a priest, representing the Lord, bless them when the Lord Himself deems their sexual relationship to be something detestable in His sight (Leviticus 18:22) and when Paul says that those who practice such things will be excluded from the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
You might say, “You fundamentalists are always attacking homosexuality. What about adultery? What about other kinds of sexual immorality? What about all you Bible-thumping Christians who are addicted to porn?”
But that’s the whole point.
If a Christian leader said, “We are now blessing couples living in adultery,” there would be outrage.
If that leader said, “We are now offering special blessings for all the couples living together out of wedlock,” there would be pushback.
If a church had a weekly porn night where after worship and prayer, the congregants would watch porn, it would set the internet ablaze.
But that is not happening, except perhaps in the case of divorces without biblical justification, followed by illegitimate marriages which are sometimes “blessed” by compromised clergy.
Otherwise, no major Church leaders are sanctioning adultery or fornication or pornography. But some are sanctioning same-sex unions (or, in more compromised settings, same-sex “marriages”). That is why we respond as we do.
It’s the same thing with LGBTQ+ activism in general.
That activism is affecting children in our nursery schools and young adults on our college campuses. It is everywhere in our society, from social media to the world of sports, and from TV and Hollywood to the business world.
We cannot avoid confronting LGBTQ+ activism and ideology wherever we turn, so we either push back with our own values or we cave in and capitulate.
It’s the same with the Pope’s ridiculous pronouncement. There must be a reply.
The fact that “Such blessings would not rise to the level of church-sanctioned same-sex marriages” is meaningless.
The “blessings” would sanction something God does not sanction and give false assurances to the couples involved. And is there a gay Catholic on the planet who would not see this as another step in the direction of the ultimate goal, namely, the full acceptance of gay relationships by the Catholic Church?
As for the notion that these blessings were possible as long as they “do not transmit a wrong conception of marriage,” my response is short and sweet: Are you kidding me?
Really now, is the Pope telling us a gay couple can live together, can be emotionally and physically intimate, and can commit to lifelong faithfulness without transmitting a wrong conception of marriage? What is the big difference between the two — other than the obvious fact that two men or two women cannot marry in God’s sight?
In August, I addressed the Church of England’s decision to allow Anglican clergy to “bless” same-sex couples, yet another apostate step made by this rapidly declining faith group.
What will now happen with the Catholic Church?
That is for Catholics to answer, but without question, this could lead to a major rift of sorts, as the strong, conservative elements of the Church will reject this pronouncement outright, whatever the cost. The effects could be seismic. (As I noted in that August article, it is “progressive” Christianity that is dying; the real gospel is thriving.)
As for the gay Catholic couples who see this as a beacon of hope and a sign of the humanity and compassion of the Church, I don’t pretend to see the world through their eyes, and I don’t claim to understand the pain and the struggle they have endured.
I will just say this, with brokenness, not with triumphalism: I don’t doubt your love for each other. I don’t doubt that part of you really wants to honor the Lord. But I can only tell you the truth. God has a better way, and He never intended you to unite with someone of the same sex.
If you will lay your life before Him, surrendering fully to Jesus as Lord, He will forgive all your sins and give you a fresh new start. Cry out to Him today!
Dr. Michael Brown(www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book isWhy So Many Christians Have Left the Faith.
👍👍👍👍👍
Make no mistake about it...
Any non-Catholic who keeps Sunday sacred is showing their allegiance to ROME. It is an abomination unto God.
The Pope cannot overrule God
Someone should tell him...
What exactly do you think is the meaning of the ‘infallibility of the Pope’?
As I understand it, it basically means Final Word.
The Pope, supposedly with the intent of guarding the faith is supposed to have the final word on matters concerning Church body, after consulting his bishops and cardinals.
Pearls are not to be cast before swine it’s true, but it would seem some of these faithless or faith-defying individuals need to be exposed to a public miracle or two to snap them out of their neuroses.
Yes, foundation formally and faithfully laid before declaration.
Amen ðÂÂÂð»!!!!
Your passage is not evidence that they changed their Sabbath to the First day. They kept time differently than we do.
When the sun set, their day ended and their new day began. So, in Acts 20:7-9, they were likely gathered around on the Sabbath day already and when they broke bread on the First Day, it just means Saturday night. Paul began speaking in the evening and continued until sometime in the middle of the night.
Eutychus’ death gives evidence of what I say, because his falling asleep would indicate he’s tired at the end of the day rather than the beginning.
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Per the document,
One must also avoid the risk of reducing the meaning of blessings to this point of view alone, for it would lead us to expect the same moral conditions for a simple blessing that are called for in the reception of the sacraments. Such a risk requires that we broaden this perspective further. Indeed, there is the danger that a pastoral gesture that is so beloved and widespread will be subjected to too many moral prerequisites, which, under the claim of control, could overshadow the unconditional power of God’s love that forms the basis for the gesture of blessing. 13. Precisely in this regard, Pope Francis urged us not to “lose pastoral charity, which should permeate all our decisions and attitudes” and to avoid being “judges who only deny, reject, and exclude.”
For years, Pope Francis has denied, rejected, and excluded any Catholic who loves the Latin Mass, who believes in the permanence of Truth, and who doesn’t go wild for every “innovation” he promotes. HE is the one who’s been a cruel judge.
Given that reality, how in the world can anyone suppress incredulous laughter when they read the syntax above?
The “document” is ...word poop...in my opinion.
Trying to make it sound good...abortion is Not killing a baby, it’s Health care... adultery is not a betrayal of purity...it’s expression of love...murder is not sinful...it’s getting rid of someone you don’t like...and on and on and on.....
ENOUGH.
No surprise here.
This is what happens when you tell a Jesuit that he’s infallible.
——>Actually it was the early Christians, led by the apostles, long before the Roman Catholic Church began, that first began the Sunday Worship
Certainly not.
Did the Apostles Abandon The Sabbath
And Keep Sunday Instead
To Honor The Resurrection?
https://www.biblelightinfo.com/firstday.htm
Sunday is NOT the Sabbath!
https://www.biblelightinfo.com/notsun.htm
God over rules “pope”?
I guess Mary might have to step in.
People REALLY need to stop calling this tool of satan “Pope”. It should be clear by now that he is squatting in the seat. Has never been the Pope, the entire thing is about as valid as the 2020 election and the guy currently squatting in the White House.
From Rome’s Challenge: (there is not one biblical word about keeping Sunday in place of the 7th-day-Sabbath)
https://www.romeschallenge.com/downloads/RomesChallenge.pdf
“The Protestants claim to stand upon the written word only. They profess to hold the Scripture alone as the standard of faith. They justify their revolt by the plea that the Church has apostatized from the written word and follows tradition. Now the Protestant’s claim, that they stand upon the written word only is not true. Their profession of holding the Scripture alone as the standard of faith, is false. PROOF: The written word explicitly enjoins the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. They do not observe the seventh day, but reject it. If they do truly hold the Scripture alone as their standard, they would be observing the seventh day as is enjoined in the scripture throughout. Yet they not only reject the observance of the Sabbath enjoined in the written word, but they have adopted and do practice the observance of Sunday, for which they have only the tradition of the Church. Consequently the claim of “Scripture alone as the standard.’ fails; and the doctrine of “Scripture and tradition” as essential, is fully established, the Protestants themselves being judges.”
There is not one biblical word authorizing anyone to write a single word of the New Testament.
There is not one biblical word authorizing anyone to recognize a single book of the New Testament as inspired Scripture, except for a vague assertion that (some? all? which one?) of the Pauline epistles are "like the other Scriptures".
Sunday worship was settled doctrine a couple of centuries before the NT canon was definitively promulgated. You read an apostate Bible, collected and preserved by an apostate church, according to your own logic.
However, I think there are legitimate questions that can be asked about whether Benedict XVI's resignation was made freely, and about various irregularities in the 2013 papal election.
Some also claim that +Francis was a valid Pope, but is a contumacious public heretic, meaning that he's effectively abandoned his office.
——>Sunday worship was settled doctrine a couple of centuries before the NT canon was definitively promulgated.
Your very own CATHOLIC CHURCH says otherwise.
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