Posted on 10/02/2015 11:54:35 AM PDT by wagglebee
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 2, 20015 (LifeSiteNews) -- Hours after the Vatican distanced itself from embattled Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, CNN has reported Pope Francis met privately with a gay couple and their friends while in the U.S.
"Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug," Yayo Grassi told CNN. Grassi was a student of Pope Francis' in the 1960s in Argentina.
In its statement this morning about the pope’s meeting with Kim Davis, the Vatican press office had said that Davis was just one of a large group of people with whom the pope had briefly met at the nunciature.
The press release added that "the only real audience granted by the Pope at the nunciature (embassy) was with one of his former students and his family."
Grassi says that former student was himself and his gay partner.
"That was me," Grassi said.
While Grassi says the pope has always known of Grassi's same-sex sexual attractions, Francis has not condemned the former student's sexuality or relationships. Grassi had previously met with the pope, along with Grassi's boyfriend Iwan, in Rome.
CNN reports that a video shows Pope Francis hugging both men and kissing them on the cheek.
"He has never been judgmental," Grassi said. "He has never said anything negative."
"Obviously he is the pastor of the church and he has to follow the church's teachings," Grassi noted. "But as a human being he understands all kinds of situations, and he is open to all kinds of people, including those with different sexual characteristics."
While Grassi says he is close to the pope, they have also had their disagreements about sexuality. In 2010, then-Cardinal Jorge Margio Bergoglio indicated that same-sex "marriage" is of Satan; Grassi wrote him an e-mail that said "You have been my guide, continuously moving my horizons—you have shaped the most progressive aspects of my worldview."
"And to hear this from you is so disappointing," wrote Grassi, who told CNN that the cardinal replied, saying he was sorry to have upset the former student, vowing that "homophobia" was not acceptable in the Catholic Church.
However, National Geographic Magazine, which first reported on the e-mail exchange added that the pope “did not disavow” what he had said about same-sex ‘marriage.’
Grassi also told CNN that he believes the pope was “misled” into meeting with Davis.
Agreed. I have no goal — and for that matter, no motive — to defend Pope Francis. What I do know is it is unavoidable that Pope Francis must trust his local leaders, in this case the archbishop who invited Kim Davis, to implement many things. That's the same at the upper levels of politics and business: people really **ARE** policy.
I am more inclined to trust the “Inside the Vatican” magazine on issues like this than a former student of the Pope from long ago, simply because the reporter has been covering the Vatican for a very long time, he is in a position to know what is happening behind the scenes, and (for people who are not naive about ecclesiastical politics) he has a great deal more to lose than most people in this situation if his article is wrong: http://insidethevatican.com/news/letter-38-2015-kim-and-francis
Maybe what we have is a politically naive pope who just wants to be “pastoral” and is being used by others. Maybe we have something worse. Maybe we have something better, i.e., someone who is cunningly wise and has an end-game much bigger than we know on the outside. After all, the Catholic world does not revolve around the United States and the Pope does have bigger problems than worrying what Americans think of him.
We'll know much more when we see what happens to the Archbishop who invited Kim Davis. What the Pope knew about Kim Davis and when he knew it may never be known to the outside world. What is important is what actions the Pope takes next, now that he knows of the uproar.
Now he's walking back his meeting with the homo's.
When will he announce he's sorry for even making the trip. And VERY sorry for meeting with Obama?
As much as I would LIKE to believe this, I simply cannot reconcile much of what he does with Church teaching.
The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church and based on the sheer size of the Church he is the most significant religious leader in the world. His DUTY is to publicly uphold orthodox Christian beliefs and I am of the opinion that this will sometimes require refusing to publicly meet with certain individuals. The most loving thing we can ever do for someone is to warn them when their soul is in peril, it is cruelty to pretend that homosexuality is acceptable and the Pope knows this. I understand him wanting to see an old friend; however, this should have been done privately and away from media scrutiny.
That being said, I do realize that as Americans we have a tendency to want to apply conservative/liberal labels to everything and Christianity doesn't always fit into a given category as neatly as we want it to.
I think you're reading it wrong, there's no indication that he regrets the meeting with the homosexuals.
Perhaps the regret here is that the Pope got caught fooling around with these queers.
You are my resident expert on these subjects. I am completely confused.
The Pope is now saying he has a “sense of regret” about meeting with Kim Davis....that must make her feel awful...how very, very, cruel.
Ohhh,
Doing my Rick Perry impersonation: Ooops.
You two are right. I thought the Vatican was expressing regret over meeting with the queers.
How silly of me. Now I see it was regret meeting with a true persecuted Christian.
I’ve tried to understand how and why this man became our pope, but I simply can’t.
Agreed.
I think you got it right.
Documentation? Here's the LINK
I really don’t know who to believe anymore.
I know exactly what you mean. It’s disgusting. I must say the “Vatican Press Office” sounds like a snakepit.
But he said conscientious objectors of SSM should be accommodated. What doesn’t he support?
Wish the MSM would say your last paragraph, but I guess they don’t objectively do news anymore.
Why doesn’t he like Obama-nation?
He’s fiscally conservative and on most social issues conservative. Well educated and a former business owner.
A former student.
Yeah, he was a former gay-student, but once he got the hang of being queer, he quit taking faggot lessons.
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