Posted on 10/14/2014 1:26:28 PM PDT by NKP_Vet
ROME (CNN) -
Under furious assault from conservative Catholics, the Vatican backtracked Tuesday on its surprisingly positive assessment of gays and same-sex relationships.
In a report Monday, the Vatican had said that gays and lesbians have "gifts to offer" the Christian community and acknowledged that same-sex couples can give "precious support" to one other.
The statement, an interim report from a closely watched meeting of Catholic clergy here, was widely praised by liberals. It is believed be the first time the Vatican has said anything positive about gay relationships.
One longtime Vatican journalist called the statement a "pastoral earthquake."
But many conservatives complained that the statement watered down church teaching and did not accurately reflect their discussions here, where nearly 200 Catholic leaders are meeting to debate doctrine and modern family life.
One South African cardinal called Monday's statement, which also included positive language about unmarried couples who cohabitate, "irredeemable."
"The message has gone out that this is what the synod is saying, this is what the Catholic Church is saying," said Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, referring to the special meeting of Catholic clergy gathered here through Saturday.
"It's not what we're saying at all."
In response to such reactions, the Vatican backtracked a bit Tuesday. In a statement, it said the report on gays and lesbians was a "working document," not the final word from Rome.
The Vatican also said that it wanted to welcome gays and lesbians in the church, but not create "the impression of a positive evaluation" of same-sex relationships, or, for that matter, of unmarried couples who live together.
But gay rights groups say that's precisely the impression the Vatican gave Monday when it said:
"Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community. Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?"
Such statements seem to be in line with the more merciful approach the church has taken toward gays and lesbians under Pope Francis. In 2013, Francis famously said, "Who am I to judge" gay people?
On Monday morning, just before the Vatican released its positive report on gays, Francis preached that laws that do not lead people to Jesus are "dead," and that Christ did "strange things" such as hanging out with sinners and tax collectors.
The goal of the meeting here, officially called the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family, is to present proposals for a larger meeting to be held in October 2015.
Which means there's a long road ahead before any doctrinal or pastoral changes happen in the church.
In the meantime, conservative and liberal bishops have been fiercely jousting in the court of public opinion.
Cardinal Raymond Burke, an American and head of the Vatican's supreme court, said the report "lacks a solid foundation in the sacred Scriptures." Other conservatives called it a "betrayal."
Liberal Catholics and gay activists, on the other hand, heralded Monday's statement and said that some conservative pushback was probably inevitable, given how hostile some corners of the church are to change.
"I actually don't think this is as much of a backtrack as we usually see!" said Marianne Duddy-Burke, head of the gay rights group Dignity USA.
"I think that response to this report was swift and intense, and I'm sure many bishops want to be sure people aren't reading more into it than is there," she continued. "However, it is undeniable that there has never been any Vatican document that made positive, respectful statements about same-sex relationships, so that is an undeniable breakthrough."
Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, echoed that sentiment.
"Regardless of the fact that this is a working document, it is still significant in that it reveals a strong current of affirmative attitudes at high levels in the church towards lesbians and gay people," he said.
I've been trying to say that. And yet... something is going on. Pope Francis has been eerily silent regarding the statements of Cardinal Kasper.
It sure seems that way when a 10-day meeting is summarized in one line in the NY Times.
Really man, please enlighten me as a Protestant (born again) Christian:
We know that God doesn’t Change, and we know that His Word never changes.
In fact scripture enlightened by the Holy Spirit is really our only source of knowledge of Him, IMO as the The Word claims.
What would happen if the Catholic Church suddenly began to openly accept homosexuality, other sins?? Would you leave that Church, just asking..
IMO that’s one reason why we should never rely upon any human organization (even a Church) to tell us what we should believe, rather we should dig into the scriptures and let God first save us (as we cannot save ourselves Eph 2:8-9, and others..), then allow His Spirit to show us what is right.
-JS
The Vatican acts like the Democratic party. Put out a liberal feeler, and then if the reaction isn’t good, backtrack. The long term direction is clear.
That's certainly not on the table, despite the NY Times' innuendo.
The synod is pastoral in nature. Pastoral teaching is always provisional since it depends on ever-changing circumstances.
The College of Cardinals should backtrack on their selection of this Marxist as Pope.
“What would happen if the Catholic Church suddenly began to openly accept homosexuality, other sins”
It can’t. The Magisterium (Teaching Authority) of the Catholic Church safeguards the truth and has been for over thousands of years. Protestant faiths can. I give you the Anglican Church and other protestant faiths. Very liberal and allow women and open homosexuals to be pastors.
Nonsense. The Catholic CHurch will never accept open homosexuality, women clergy or allow abortion. The democratic party and many protestant faiths do.
Um like I said a Church ~shouldn’t~ dictate what we believe it should be God and His Word, anyone be it protestant or catholic that doesn’t truly belong to Jesus will not inherit His kingdom.
Who am I to judge” gay people?”
Taken out of context.
He means homosexuals who are living a chaste lifestyle.
There are many women I want, but even though I have not been with any woman except my wife for 24 years this day I still do not consider my self to be qualified to be a member of any Church....
I am not talking about personally judging any one, only God can do that, what I am talking about is the preservation of Christ`s Church.
I would like to see the Synod issue a statement saying exactly what I would say if they’d asked me to draft it ;-).
They do this all the time... the Vatican releases a document or statement, or the Pope says something, and the press jump on it as its some radical change in church doctrine or something... and its almost always nonsense.
I admit I did not read the entire document in question, but the excerpts I did see, didn’t come across to me as some radical change of Church doctrine.
No one, not the most conservative catholic on the planet that knows the church cannon would stand up and say there are no place for sinners in the church... that’s idiotic, we are all sinners.
The church sadly has to deal with homosexuality within its ranks, because sadly it decided to make a deal with the devil in the 60s and let admitted but “non practicing” homosexuals into the priesthood. This was a horrific mistake and now there are indeed a good number of practicing homosexuals within the ranks of the preisthoods of the Church and they need to be purged from these positions because their actions are slowly rotting the church from within. However, that does not mean, that the church has a fatwa against homosexuals within its lay membership.
It cannot and will not ever condone their behavior, as its quite clear that homsexuality is not something condoned by God. Sadly though it is a reality, and not a new one, that the church has had to deal with...do you think secular acceptance and even promotion of homosexuality is not something the church has not seen or dealt with before in its 2000 year history?
The problem is reporters are largely utterly ignorant of theology, so they hear something and they think its some radical departure from tradition of the church, and usually its just their ignorance showing through.
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