Posted on 09/18/2021 6:53:03 AM PDT by ebb tide
The Pope’s comments have been described as ‘apocalyptically scandalous’ for their opposition to the Catholic Church’s rejection of ‘immoral … contrary to right reason’ same-sex unions.
In a new airplane interview Wednesday, Pope Francis once again expressed his support for same-sex civil unions, calling for laws to promote civil unions since “we are all equal.” Nevertheless, he ruled out marriage being opened up to same-sex “couples.”
“If they want to support a homosexual couple in life together, states have the possibility of civilly supporting them,” stated the pontiff in remarks translated differently by various news outlets.
The comments prompted concern among Catholics. Br. Martin Navarro Ob. S.A. warned that the Pope’s support for same-sex unions “is tacitly equating a same-sex union with a family.”
Responding to a question from Stefano Maria Paci of Sky Tg 24, about the “recognition of homosexual marriages,” the 84-year-old pontiff first referenced marriage.
“Marriage is a sacrament, the Church has no power to change the sacraments as the Lord has instituted them,” he said.
However, while ruling out same-sex “marriage,” Pope Francis pointed to other ways in which same-sex relationships could be recognized. “There are laws that try to help the situations of many people who have a different sexual orientation,” he attested.
The full text of the interview, as provided by the National Catholic Register, is slightly longer than that given by Vatican News, and demonstrates greater papal support for same-sex unions from the Pope.
Noting how it is “important” to “help” people desiring same-sex unions, or “marriages,” while nevertheless refraining from “imposing things that by their nature do not enter in the Church,” Francis defended state support for same-sex unions.
“If they want to support a homosexual couple in life together, states have the possibility of civilly supporting them, of giving security through inheritance, health [insurance],” declared the Pope. “But the French have a law on this not only for homosexuals, but for all people who want to associate with each other [in a legally recognized relationship].”
Continuing his theme, Pope Francis hinted at support for same-sex unions, providing they did not take the form of sacramental marriage. “Marriage as a sacrament is clear, it is clear,” he stated.
“There are civil laws that provide if they want to associate, a law to have the health service, to have […] among them, these things are done,” he added. “Please do not make the Church deny her truth. Many, many people of homosexual orientation approach the Sacrament of Penance, they approach to ask priests for advice, the Church helps them to move forward in their lives. But the sacrament of marriage is something else.”
Noting how his words on the matter often create “confusion,” the Pope added that “we are all equal,” according to Crux. Vatican News reported he said “[t]hey are all equal brothers and sisters.”
EuroNews reported that the Pope had described same-sex civil unions as being “good and helpful to many,” however neither the Vatican’s nor NCR’s transcript of the in-flight interview contains this statement.
The Church, by way of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), already addressed the question of homosexuality and civil unions in a 1986 document “On the pastoral care of homosexual persons.”
“A person engaging in homosexual behaviour therefore acts immorally,” wrote the CDF, and any such activity is “contrary to the creative wisdom of God.”
“Christians who are homosexual are called, as all of us are, to a chaste life,” continued the CDF’s document, while noting that a “truly pastoral approach will appreciate the need for homosexual persons to avoid the near occasions of sin.”
The CDF’s 2003 document “Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons” repeated the Church’s strong condemnation of homosexual activity and homosexual unions, saying that “homosexual acts go against the natural moral law.”
Presenting numerous reasons to argue against the legal definition of homosexual unions, the CDF characterized any law in favor of same-sex unions as “contrary to right reason.”
Furthermore, “all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions,” taught the CDF.
The Catholic Church teaches, moreover, that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered” and that respect for homosexuals “cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.”
“The Holy Father has reiterated his approval for same-sex civil unions as he did a few months in a documentary,” Br. Martin Navarro of the Oblates of Saint Augustine told LifeSiteNews.
The Holy Father is in favor of providing members of same-sex civil unions the same civil liberties that are granted to married couples. These civil liberties are granted to married couples in order to provide for their spouse and children. In other words, to support a family, which is the nucleus of society. To be in favor of providing these same civil liberties to those who cannot form a family, or cannot provide the adequate environment necessary for the raising of children (as is the case of having two fathers or two mothers), is tacitly equating a same-sex union with a family. For the benefits that these civil liberties grant, those in same-sex unions can acquire them in the same ways as any other single person must.
John Horvat, vice president of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, told LifeSiteNews that “homosexual civil unions are intrinsically evil and gravely sinful no matter the circumstances.”
“The unnatural sin of sodomy has always been condemned by the Church and this will never change because God and His Divine Law will never change,” continued Horvat. “It is apocalyptically scandalous and a great shame that the highest authority on earth, the Vicar of Christ, publicly endorses homosexual civil unions. It is indicative of our sinful times and why Our Lady warned us of a great chastisement in Fatima.”
Meanwhile, U.K. commentator and blogger Laurence England quipped: “He has the uncanny ability to find something good in everything except Catholicism.”
Following the interview, LGBT advocates were very public in their praise of the Pope’s support for civil unions.
Dissident Jesuit and pro-LGBT campaigner Fr. James Martin wrote on Twitter that the Pope was “again supporting civil unions.”
Meanwhile, pro-LGBT “Catholic” group New Ways Ministry praised how Francis had used “incontrovertible terms” in his “support for same-gender civil unions.”
“If there was any debate left over whether @Pontifex supports same-gender civil unions, it is settled. The pope clearly supports LGBTQ couples being legally protected,” tweeted the group.
Pro-LGBT and “sex worker” activist Denis Nzioka welcomed the papal comments, as “Pope Francis latest — and clearest support — for same sex civil unions.”
The Pope’s comments are but the latest in a long history of support, of varying degrees of strength and clarity, for same-sex unions. Only last year, he voiced his support for the unions in the film Francesco, calling for “a civil union law.”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan pointed out how such an approach is no act of kindness toward persons with same-sex attraction; rather, it is an act of cruelty.
“[B]ecause these persons will be confirmed in mortal sin, they will be solidified in their interior psychological dichotomy, since their reason tells them that homosexual acts are against reason and against the explicit will of God, the Creator and Redeemer of men,” he explained.
Ping
I read that differently. He’s solidifying that homosexual marriage is wrong in the eyes of God.
Obviously he’s playing Solomon and trying to split the baby so he can be pro-gay (as he is) without being defrocked. But I think this is backfiring on him from both sides as he’s just “proven” that homosexuality is a sin.
The Roman Catholic Church is no more.
The Vatican has been infiltrated and taken over by Satan for a long time now.
Everything bad is now good and everything good is now bad in this Pope’s universe. The joining of religion with politics means a Great War is coming.
Since it began in the 3rd century.
I’m less troubled by his position on homosexual marriage, than his position on homsexuality.
He seems to be stating that homosexuality is OK. OK with the church; OK with God.
Can the church being OK with abortion be far behind?
“we are all equal”
That’s his motto, his creed, his declaration of faith. It explains him a lot.
No, pope, we are not all equal. Some are smart, and some are dumb. Some are good, and some are bad. Some work hard, and some lob around. Some do what their human nature tells them to do, and others pervert their nature as humans.
will no one rid us of this meddlesome priest
Bergoglio (or Bergogandmagoglio) resigned the Papacy when he publicly became the vicar of pachamamma if he ever held the office in the first place. He is a manifest heretic (even for a jesuit) and now a public apostate: One can not be vicar of both Christ and pachamamma and for goodness sake he’s abandoned the title Vicar of Christ, relegating it to “historic title”.
If you take a dump on your boss’ desk, that’s a resignation and no words are needed. If a Catholic honors a pagan deity that’s apostasy. This wasn’t offering incense to an effigy of the emperor, he enthroned the symbols of a demon on the altar of Almighty God. He took a dump on his Boss’ desk.
I have no idea who is the Bishop of Rome or if there is a Bishop of Rome, but I know without question who is NOT Bishop of Rome. I am not and neither is Jorge Maria Bergoglio.
Yep. It’s kinda personal for me. I went to catholic school, classes in catechism and going to Mass every day, until 9th grade. I considered becoming a catholic nun several times - not because I loved the Church, I wanted to live a simple life of devotion, right? (I decided not to because someone I knew said, “Don’t become a nun! They’ll hate you and you’ll end up cleaning toilets forever!”) The Church rolled over for Communism when I was really little. I remember the first time I experienced confusion and dread when I realized that it seemed the priests and nuns who were our teachers didn’t care about us at all, and stood ready to sacrifice catholic youth so the USA could be overrun by the Left. A lot of the nuns were pitiable figures, seeming confused and lost a lot of the time. (They had probably wanted to live a simple life of devotion, too! lol)
It has always been the goal of the radical homosexual agenda to undermine the institution of marriage. They seek to redefine it in their terms so they can steer it away from the biblical terms that we Christians recognize.
I wish I could find my post from 1999 here on this very forum in which I said the exact same thing.
Well, this is not all that earth-shattering or new. The Church long ago accepted homosexuality as a legitimate thing. There are two ways to look at this latest development. By embracing civil unions, the Pope and the Church are simultaneously denying gay marriage as a legitimate thing. Civil unions are a legal matter, not a theological one.
Thank you. When people continue to call him pope they continue to give him legitimacy and are just a part of the problem.
I have known only a few nuns. However they were all hard Leftists of the “Liberation theology” type.
No, he recognizes what he’s done.
Marriage is the civil union in all societies. The Catholic church has always recognized that. That’s why the Church recognizes non-Christian marriages.
The sacrament of marriage is a rite of the church and a requirement for a valid Christian marriage.
What he’s doing is declaring that homosexuality is not a sin and what’s more that Christianity is wrong.
There is no way to take the opinion that homosexual civil unions are “doing good” unless you reject the destructiveness of that behavior both in this world and the next.
The Pope is not taking eternity seriously. Homosexual activity matters not only because of consequences in this world, but in the next. I think the Pope wants to party with the popular kids, so he is trying to make Catholicism less weird. Sorry Francis, but it IS weird, and that’s the point: it is in the world but not of the world. I keep praying for that guy, for him to be the man and leader God wants him to be. (Praying for your enemies …)
So you’re OK with civil legalization of sodomy?
How about the legalization of infanticide?
No futher proof is needed that this Pope is antithetical to the Scripures, the inerrant Word of God. Therefore, he has proven himself to be an anti-Christ. Those in the Catholic chucrch must search the Scriptures themselves and leave the Catholic church for it has now become an organization against God.
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