Belgian Bishop Ashamed of Church Teaching on Homosexual ‘Marriage’

ANTWERP, Belgium (ChurchMilitant.com) - A Belgian bishop apologized to all who feel that the Vatican's recent reaffirmation of the sanctity of Christian marriage and the inadmissibility of blessing homosexual unions, saying of gay couples: "Their pain is mine today."

Writing as a "bishop and theologian," Bp. Johan Bonny of Antwerp on March 17 wrote an op-ed for the Flemish-language De Staandard in reference to the declaration by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that ruled out any blessings for same-sex couples as "illicit" and "unlawful." In response to the directive, Bp. Bonny wrote that he apologizes to "all for whom the Vatican's position is painful and incomprehensible." He identified those possibly offended: "faithful and Catholic committed gay couples, parents and grandparents of gay couples and their children, pastoral workers and counselors of gay couples."

Bonny claimed near the end of the article that the Vatican declaration is not "substantive" and does not align with his understanding of the 2015 Synod of Bishops on marriage and the family. He wrote: "That is unfortunate for faithful gay couples, their families and friends. They do not feel they are just and treated truthfully by the Church. The reaction is already underway." He noted that he was a participant in the Synod and wrote parts of the final report to Pope Francis. He wrote: "God has never been stingy or pedantic in blessing people. He is our Father. That was the theological and moral mindset of most of the Synod fathers."

“faithful and Catholic committed gay couples, parents and grandparents of gay couples and their children, pastoral workers and counselors of gay couples.”

Committed? To what, cramming things up their backsides? Living in rebellion against God? This idea that these people are like what’s portrayed on Modern Family or Will and Grace is moronic. They live an existence of perversion that normal people don’t want to think about. See the documentary, The Gift, if you have a strong stomach.

By the time someone can champion homosexuality in society, given how patently wrong and disordered homosexuality is, they will have to have first compromised a lot (that may be less obvious) away.

When someone who has been taught much about the Lord compromises away the truth they have been taught they face a danger the flatly ignorant do not seem to face, and can come under a judgment like that in Romans 1:18-32.

Keep in mind that even if they are not turned over to reprobate minds they can still come under judgment.

Championing homosexuality in society is not what leads to being turned over to a reprobate mind but is a consequence of it, a fruit on display in the lives of such individuals arguably to warn people around them as to their actual spiritual state.

We know from Scripture that Noah had real knowledge of the Lord and yet some of his heirs led many astray into apostasy from that knowledge, literally worshipping beasts and stone and wood. We know that in the days of Abraham there was a righteous king in the land and yet the cities of the plain were in debauchery unconverted. We know when Israel was about to enter the land that there was at least one man, Balaam, who still knew the Lord and who was known for it even among the pagans, who doubtlessly had a flock he was leading who died with him. Likewise in Israel those who tolerated those knaves in Benjamin who behaved as the men of Sodom did, they had the Law, and look what happened in Israel because they protected those men.

Does anyone imagine that now that the reality for which all before was a shadow is here that this is still not applicable to those who refuse to retain the knowledge of the Lord?

(as some I’ve come across seem to want to restrict the general principal to the past)

Flee from fellowship with such individuals.

If it looks like Romans 1:18-32 is going on in society do not be surprised to learn when all is said and done that it had been going on.

When everyone else seems to be going away and Christ could ask you or I if we will leave too we should respond as Peter did: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Cling to the Lord and not to men.

Let’s face it, fellow Catholics, we’ve seen this movie before. And it ends very badly.

The Church right now is roughly in the same place that the Episcopalians/Anglicans were in 30-40 years ago. At first, it was just a few odd outliers accepting/promoting homosexuality. Then there was a plea for tolerance. Then there was a plea for acceptance. Then it as openly LGBT clergy. Then openly LGBT bishops. Then it was gay marriage. And meanwhile traditionalists quit or broke away, and their denomination’s downward spiral accelerated.

Don’t kid yourself. It’s happening in the Catholic Church. The CDF decree last week was an anomaly. I’m not sure if it was either (1) a sincere last gasp of a faithful remnant at the Vatican; OR (2) a cynical move proffered solely for the purpose of having Bergoglio disavow or discredit it later. We’ll see.

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