Posted on 08/03/2018 9:55:47 PM PDT by unlearner
LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Pro-homosexual dissident 'Catholic' groups see in Pope Francis' changing of the Churchs teaching on the death penalty the hope that the Church will one day also change its teaching against homosexuality.
New Ways Ministry called the change in the Catechism proof that "Church teaching can change."
"It's important for Catholic advocates for LGBT equality to take note of this change because for decades Catholic opponents of LGBT equality argued that it is impossible to change church teaching. They often pointed to the fact that condemnations of same-sex relationships were inscribed in the Catechism, and so were not open for discussion or change. Yet, the teaching on the death penalty is in the Catechism, too, and, in fact, to make this change in teaching, it was the text of the Catechism that Francis changed," the group stated on its website.
New Ways Ministry, which works to "promote the acceptance of LGBT people," said that Pope Francis' move will help advance "LGBT equality" in a number of ways.
"First, we now have a clear, explicit contemporary example of church teaching changing, and also a look into how it can be done: with a papal change to the Catechism," it stated.
"Second, we can see that the process that brought about this change has been decades of theological debate and discussion, and not just a papal whim. That means the theological and even ecclesial discussions and debates right now about LGBT people have great potential to shape future changes in church teaching in regard to those topics," it added.
The pro-gay group was not the only one to see the significance of Pope Francis' rewrite of the Catechism.
In a post that appeared yesterday on Twitter, Lexington-based Fortunate Families wrote:
The church cannot change its teaching. That is what so many others say about other topics, for example regarding LGBTQ persons. But doctrine develops. Todays news is a sterling example.
"The idea first floated by [the] Pope on Catechisms 25th anniversary last fall to signify development of doctrine, the tweet continued, rescript issued today sees Francis issue edit of the 1994 official text, now deeming capital punishment inadmissible-- the new formulation.
Development of doctrine, legitimately used to describe how the Catholic Church refines and expands, but never undermines or rejects, what was taught earlier, has now been interpreted by some to mean the erasure of settled Church teaching.
Critics say Pope Francis attempted to do that yesterday when he promulgated a new teaching concerning the death penalty in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, saying that it was inadmissible. The perennial teaching of the Church, based on Scripture and unanimously accepted by the Church Fathers and every pope until Francis, is that legitimate civil authority may impose the death penalty on a malefactor. Although both Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI were strongly opposed to capital punishment--and John Pauls Catechism strongly circumscribed it--neither pope denied this principle.
Pope Francis innovation has already become a club for American liberals to beat conservatives with. Jane Fleming Kleeb, Chair of the Democratic Party in Nebraska, has tweeted Let's be clear Nebraskans, @GovRicketts is going against the teachings of the church. We can change leaders by voting different on Nov. 6--Democrats are against the death penalty.
Fortunate Families, founded in 1992 by Mary Ellen and Casey Lopata, the Catholic parents of a same-sex attracted man, is a group of Catholic religious and laypeople who dissent on authentic Church teaching regarding sexuality and marriage. From 2010 until this July Fortunate Families was part of a coalition with Call to Action, the banned Dignity, and the censured New Ways ministry.
Astonishingly, since November 2017 Bishop John Stowe, OFM of Lexington has served as the dissident groups ecclesial advisor. Stowe is one of the five bishops who have endorsed Fr. James Martins pro-LGBT book Building a Bridge. The bishop was appointed to the Lexington diocese by Pope Francis in 2015.
Fortunate Families was last in the news when a Lexington Catholic church stretched an LGBT flag across its front lawn. The first executive director of the group, Stan JR Zerkowski, is a parishioner at St. Pauls parish, and told media that he hoped the banner got wide publicity.
This is a church that is open to all people and I hope this sign gets that across, he said in the TV report. I dont think a Catholic Church has ever had a sign like this before in front of it during Pride Week or any other time. However, in other parts of the country we see this regularly.
The banner read LBGTQ+ Catholic /Family, Friends & Allies/all are welcome, insinuating that at other Catholic churches Catholics who experience same-sex desires or suffer from gender dysphoria are barred from the worship of God.
Former homosexual Joseph Sciambra retweeted the groups Twitter message, saying Bishop Stowes Fortunate Families believe that the [Catechism of the Catholic Church] will also change in terms of homosexuality. FF operatives are embedded within several dioceses around the US.
Sciambra, a survivor of the San Francisco 1990s gay scene, is dedicated to helping people with same-sex attractions avoid being trapped in what he says is a dangerous way of life.
Curling is up next!
Would you be so kind then as to provide us with a link to where Rome has dogmatically defined each verse in the New Testament?
If you can't, Rome has left its members adrift in this manner.
I love curling on a hot day!!
A “reformation” is inconceivable. Catholicism is a closed circle. No one uses the word reformation except in reference to the events of the past. To Catholics, unity is more important than doctrine! (Except trads who the pope would like to see all drop dead due to their obsession with remaking the Church back to 1950).
Change has been ongoing for 200 years in sync with the same changes everywhere, theosophy, romanticism, modernism, postmod, post christian, post-truth, whatever, there are a ton of names applying to 18th century, rural religion-dominated society to today’s secular, violent society.
The new group in Church hierarchy has come to the forefront. It has all the characteristics of secular contemporary life. Its moral code is aligning with the reality of deconstructionism.
Bergoglio’s goal was to change the church or as Cardinal Wuerl said, “put it back on the map.”. So homosexuality was bad in past, and that was also the secular view. Church has now fully embraced and glorified it. Every gay is adorable, in culture and in Church.
These changes are made or haphazardly applied 100% TOP down. Your average Catholic has no idea what is happening with important stuff. Trads follow a bit more closely because they feel this is a crisis. The Church will probably be unrecognizable if present rulers carry on with plans to match Church to culture (agw, socialism, immigration, gay, etc). Catholics will pick bits and pieces as time passes.
Abortion and life issues (euthanasia, ivf, life support) are the Church’s strength. I thought they could never channge, they are all based to same tenets of human dignity and human immortal soul. But in recent baby killing in Britain, some (Paglia, etc) churchmen veered just slightly to a vague interpretation of life!
I just wonder how many Catholics break into Protestant caucuses.
***
How many Protestant caucus threads ARE there?
I remember seeing exactly three in all my time here at FR, even those that probably could have used a caucus designation.
Whereas I can’t go a single day without seeing at least five Catholic caucus threads.
Seems to me that Protestants are quite willing to discuss what they believe with anyone who asks, and the Catholics can’t stand dissent.
It’s very tempting to post a whole bunch of Prot caucus threads that uphold the rules and at the same time will REALLY peeve off the Catholics, just to see what happens.
Of course Christianity is open to ALL people and churches should be welcoming to everyone who desires to know the true God, His revealed truth, the Good News of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and fellowship with loving and kind people as well helping each other to overcome sin through the strengthening and power of the Holy Spirit so that we may live lives that honor God. No one should be turned away. But this is NOT the same thing as ignoring or condoning what God has called an abomination. His word is very clear that homosexual acts are a grave evil and destructive to society.
It's perfectly fine for someone else to repost a thread as non-caucus especially if said poster is wanting to discuss the topic and is prevented from doing so because he isn't a caucus member. And asking for clarification is exactly the reason he did it. If you cannot help clarify or respectfully dialogue, then skip it. Why presume dishonest motives?
“Why presume dishonest motives?”
I think that is called projection.
I’m impressed that you even know what it is.
So now we're not even supposed to READ Catholic Caucus threads???!!! A little sensitive, are we?
Most of you people interpret the Bible any old way you see fit unlike the Churchs teachings. I dont pay any attention to your blatherings on the subject. Good night.Well lets go back and see what I was responding to when I posted "blathering"-Which was scripture from the Holy Spirt-and see what sorts out.
I saw your comment "I hang out with my Catholic family and friends and we love the world."
I thought I would help you a little by showing you what God thinks about that sentence and so I posted:
Is this in your Bible?So it seems you don't accept the Truths of Scripture and denigrate God's word with snarky replies.Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Oh and BTW and FYI, your comment to me does not comply with the guidelines of the Religion Forum.
I don't hit abuse when that happens because I like to have posts like that left up to show how ignorant some people are of politeness and civility not to mention a complete disregard for the guidelines.
So thank you so much for the comment and I hope I have helped you better understand the Bible's position on loving the world.
And with that I will quote you: Good night
Percentage wise I believe it is a fact that Protestant caucus threads are invaded by Catholics more than Catholic caucus threads are invaded by non-Catholics.
Believing those MSNBC polls again?
And yet...
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.
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
49. "`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.
50. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
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.
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...
Call no man Father...
Them's mighty big words from a one-eyed fat man!
Which Catholic has the RIGHT to JUDGE the POPE?
Unam Sanctum
Many things are OBVIOUS to a Catholic; but they can rationalize them away quite easily.
Your sister lives in Buffalo! Now we know why you have all the anti-Catholic facts at your finger-tips; we had tried to keep Buffalo a Papist secret for close to 200 years and now you’ve found it out...
That's ok; if you are an apparition that is assumed to be Mary.
It has placed BILLIONS of words into the collective mouth of Rome's followers.
Not in the old days!
It was RAW POWER!!
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.