Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] German seminary rector says he allows openly homosexual men to enter, become priestsFr. Wolfgang Lehner of Munich’s Seminary of St. John Baptist admitted that he accepts public homosexuals as seminarians and priests, directly contradicting the position of the Catholic Church.The rector of the Catholic seminary in Munich has said that he allows openly homosexual men to enter the seminary and be consecrated as priests, contrary to the teaching of the Universal Church. When asked in an interview by the local news outlet Münchner Kirchenzeitung how he deals with candidates who are openly homosexual, Fr. Wolfgang Lehner said, “It...

[Catholic Caucus] Catholic priest wearing rainbow stole gives ‘blessing’ to women civilly ‘married’ for 22 yearsThe Saint Paul Catholic Church in Kentucky posted a picture of the 'blessing' on their official Facebook page. The text accompanying the photo said that the 'blessing' was 'offered according to the guidelines in Fiducia Supplicans.'LEXINGTON, Kentucky (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic church in Lexington, Kentucky, hosted a “blessing” of a same-sex couple that had been civilly “married” for 22 years, citing the Vatican’s heterodox declaration Fiducia Supplicans. The Saint Paul Catholic Church parish posted a picture of the “blessing” on their official Facebook page, showing...

[Catholic Caucus] Pictured: Priest replaces Joseph for same-sex nativity sceneParish priest defends having two mothers of baby Jesus as reflective of modern familiesA church nativity scene featuring two mothers of the Baby Jesus instead of the conventional Mary and Joseph has sparked anger in Italy.Nativity scenes are popular in the largely Catholic country, but in recent years they have been increasingly mired in culture wars as its society becomes more secular and multi-cultural.The priest at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, in Capocastello di Mercogliano, a hamlet in the province of Avellino about one hour’s drive east of Naples,...

[Catholic Caucus] German church plans formal ‘ceremonies’ for blessing same-sex couplesGerman bishops will continue to work on a handout for 'blessing ceremonies' to give to priests while the vice president of the Central Committee of German Catholics expresses hope that a change in church doctrine on sexual morality follows.BERLIN (LifeSiteNews) — Birgit Mock, the vice president of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK), announced that in light of Rome’s permission to grant blessings to “couples” in irregular unions and same-sex “couples” the German bishops will continue as planned to work on a handout for “blessing ceremonies” to give to...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop authorizes same-sex blessingsBishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann wrote to diocesan priests, deacons and lay pastoral workers saying that the blessings – which he also extended to remarried couples – could take place in churches in the Diocese of Speyer. “The ceremony must differ from a church wedding ceremony in terms of words and signs and should explicitly reinforce the love, commitment, and mutual responsibility in the couple’s relationship as an act of blessing.”

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis’ favorite pro-LGBT nun says he is ‘laying the groundwork’ for changing teaching on homosexuality'I am confident that the sexual teaching of the church will change,' dissident Sr. Jeannine Gramick predicted with great optimism.Sr. Jeannine Gramick of New Ways MinistryATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) –– A prominent pro-LGBT nun, previously censured by the Vatican but rehabilitated by Pope Francis, has declared the Pope is “laying the groundwork for change” in the Catholic Church’s prohibition of homosexuality. In an interview with Father James Martin S.J.’s pro-LGBT website “Outreach,” Sister Jeannine Gramick outlined her assessment of Pope Francis’ gradual attack and...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop asks priests to ‘bless’ homosexual unions, citing Pope Francis and Synodal WayBishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of Speyer encouraged pastors to conduct ‘blessings’ of homosexual and other sinful relationships and said that no one ‘has to fear sanctions’ for doing so in his diocese.SPEYER, Germany (LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Karl-Heinz Wiesemann of the Diocese of Speyer, Germany, has called on priests in his diocese to grant “blessing ceremonies” for homosexual unions as well as adulterous and sinful relationships outside of marriage.In a November 2 letter to the clergy and staff of the diocese, the bishop invoked the German Synodal...

[Catholic Caucus] Exclusive: Cardinals Cupich, McElroy say 'impossible to go back' to synods without lay voters Two U.S. cardinals said one of the immediate results of Pope Francis' major summit on the future of the Catholic Church is that it should now be "impossible" to return to an era where lay men and women are not given both a voice and vote in major Vatican meetings. "It would seem to me impossible to go back now," said San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy on Oct. 29. "It would be wrenching to go back if you just had bishops there or just...

Bishop: Homosex "Blessing" Signifies "God’s Approval" [of Sin]Homosex activist John Stowe, "bishop" of Lexington, Kentucky, is applauding Francis' statement that priests can "bless" homosex concubinages at their whim.Speaking to Time.com (October 4), he said that homosex "blessings" can be of "great significance" to those who practise homosexuality because such "blessings" are like prayers for God's presence and help and "almost signify God's approval."Stowe openly rejects the biblical condemnation of homosexual sins and regards "sexual orientation [such as paedophilia or necrophilia?]" as "not being something that one freely chooses."The Catholic understanding of free will and responsibility has been rejected by many...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop of Milan promotes homosexuality in new pastoral letter days before Synod begins‘The hasty label of ‘homosexual’, ‘heterosexual’ deadens the relational dynamic and tends to reduce it to a ‘sexual practice’,’ Mario Delpini said in heavily criticized guidelines.MILAN, Italy (LifeSiteNews) — The Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, has issued a pastoral letter in which he appears to endorse homosexuality. Homosexuality couched as a variant of ‘attraction’“Particularly delicate attention given modern-day sensibilities must be devoted to accompanying and understanding the experience of love and the different nuances of attraction, both to people of different genders and to people of...

Prelate Defends Giving Communion to Muslim SheikhBrazilian archbishop quotes Pope Francis and Vatican II's 'Nostra Aetate'A pro-LGBT Brazilian archbishop is invoking Pope Francis' apostolic letter on liturgical formation and the documents of Vatican II to justify his choice to administer Holy Communion to a Muslim sheikh at a funeral service. "Every reception of Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ was already desired by Him in the Last Supper," argues the archbishop of Londrina, Geremias Steinmetz, quoting Pope Francis in a clarification issued on the diocesan website on Aug. 30.Viral VideoA video of Abp. Steinmetz giving the Sacred Host...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop of Berlin permits blessings of homosexual couplesArchbishop Koch: Blessing of homosexual couples possible in archdiocese. He will not take any disciplinary actionArchbishop Heiner Koch leaves it up to the pastors of his archdiocese to bless homosexual couples. However, he himself will only do so after a certain point in time, the Berlin head pastor emphasises.Welcoming homosexual and trans refugeesIn the Archdiocese of Berlin, blessings of homosexual couples are possible. Archbishop Heiner Koch leaves it up to his full-time chaplains to do so. He will not take disciplinary action against them if they bless such couples in special...

[Catholic Caucus] Assisted suicide: Paglia's OK destroys MagisteriumThe president of the Pontifical Academy for Life Vincenzo Paglia has given his OK to the assisted suicide law from the columns of Renzi's newspaper Il Riformista. In a plethora of heresies and leaning on the liberalist drifts of current social conditions and widespread pluralism, the bishop openly contradicts the Magisterium and the pronouncements of the Italian Bishops' Conference, even going so far as to say that the Church does not own the truth on these issues.Bishop Paglia is open to the assisted suicide law” read the front page of Il Riformista [The...

Retiring Iowa archbishop pushes women priests, argues Hell is empty at Confirmation MassDUBUQUE, Iowa (LifeSiteNews) — The exiting Archbishop of Dubuque has used one of his final homilies before resigning to promote female ordination and deny that anyone is in Hell.Archbishop Michael O. Jackels of Dubuque, Iowa, delivered a jovial homily at a recent Confirmation Mass on March 16, at St. Thomas Aquinas parish. Addressing the assembled candidates for Confirmation, he spoke on the subject of vocation and calling. Outlining the various states of life to which the young people might be called, he listed marriage, single life, religious life,...

Bishop Georg Bätzing said that heretical same-sex ‘blessings’ have ‘already been implemented’ in Belgium and have ‘even been agreed upon with Rome.’ (LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Georg Bätzing, the head of the German bishops’ conference (DBK), said that they will implement “blessings” of same-sex couples in Germany, regardless of what the Vatican says. Asked in an interview with German TV station ZDF if Bätzing is sure that the Pope agrees with him about “blessings” of same-sex unions, the German bishop replied, “We will implement it here.” “We have worked very intensively on this,” he continued. “We have worked in four forums...

FRANKFURT, Germany (OSV News) — The final assembly of the German Synodal Way took place in Frankfurt March 9-11, where 230 bishops and lay representatives discussed issues such as blessings for homosexual couples, the ordination of women, a relaxation of mandatory celibacy and greater church involvement for lay people. The agenda, with 10 resolution texts, reflected the will of the local church to “arrive at visible changes,” the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, said in Frankfurt March 9. “This church deserves that we do not leave it as it is,” the German news agency KNA reported...

From the baptism to the sermon to the blessing ceremony View of the Fifth Synodal Assembly in Frankfurt Practical consequences of the synodal path for the Diocese of Osnabrück New blessing celebrations for couples, baptisms also by non-clerics and women and men who preach in the service: These are three of the concrete consequences that the resolutions of the synodal path of the Catholic Church in Germany will have for the Diocese of Osnabrück. Other resolutions of the process at the federal level, which was concluded last weekend with the Fifth Synodal Assembly, are also to be implemented promptly in...

German "Church" Officially Approves Same-Sex "Blessings" - a Moment of Schism and Collapse of the Universal Church "Et in unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam..." -- we proclaim our belief in the marks of the Church every Sunday in the Creed.Minutes ago, the parliamentary assembly of German bishops and radical lay activists gathered under the name of "Synodal Way" officially approved "same-sex blessings". As reported by Jonathan Liedl: Once again, German schismatics and apostates bring the Church to a moment of collapse and crisis. WE ARE NOT IN COMMUNION WITH THIS nonsense, whatever this is. May God send fire...

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed several bills into law Friday. All of them were radical leftist monstrosities advancing his totalitarian control over the state. They ranged in severity from the petty to the monstrous, showing he can promote evil at every level. But one can argue none of them will affect more citizens and likely kill more Californians than AB2098. According to the San Diego Tribune: The bill, AB2098, introduced by Democratic Assembly Member Evan Low, declares that a physician or surgeon commits professional misconduct if they disseminate “misinformation or disinformation” about the nature and risks of COVID-19, its prevention...

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed back Tuesday on the decision by San Francisco's conservative Catholic archbishop to deny her Communion over her support of abortion rights, saying she respects that people have opposing views but not when they impose them on others. The California Democrat says she comes from a large family with many members who oppose abortion. “I respect people’s views about that. But I don’t respect us foisting it onto others.” Pelosi added, “Our archbishop has been vehemently against LGBTQ rights. In fact he led the way in an initiative on the ballot in California.”Pelosi...