Gay Christians, controversial nun among those set to greet Pope Francis

[gilliam]

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=978918 (Non-Catholic Religions)

This story is also running at hotair.

hotair.com/archives/2015/09/18/vatican-objects-to-white-house-invitation-list-for-papal-visit/

From the article:

as longtime Vaticanista Francis X. Rocca reports for the Wall Street Journal:

"On the eve of Pope Francis’s arrival in the U.S., the Vatican has taken offense at theObama administration’s decision to invite to the pope’s welcome ceremony transgender activists, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an activist nun who leads a group criticized by the Vatican for its silence on abortion and euthanasia.

According to a senior Vatican official, the Holy See worries that any photos of the pope with these guests at the White House welcoming ceremony next Wednesday could be interpreted as an endorsement of their activities.

The tension exemplifies concerns among conservative Catholics, including many bishops, that the White House will use the pope’s visit to play down its differences with church leaders on such contentious issues as same-sex marriage and the contraception mandate in the health care law."

This is gossip from an unnamed source and Francis X. Rocca has over blown things before. I am sure you can find someone with concern if you look hard enough, after all the conservative blogs (e.g.,Hot Air) are jumping on this. I wouldn’t expect them not to.

But is it really that important that we should worry about it? I would rather pray for the safety of the Holy Father during the trip and that the people of the USA listen to what he has to say.

 

[FollowChrist34]

From the article:

as longtime Vaticanista Francis X. Rocca reports for the Wall Street Journal:

"On the eve of Pope Francis’s arrival in the U.S., the Vatican has taken offense at theObama administration’s decision to invite to the pope’s welcome ceremony transgender activists, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an activist nun who leads a group criticized by the Vatican for its silence on abortion and euthanasia.

According to a senior Vatican official, the Holy See worries that any photos of the pope with these guests at the White House welcoming ceremony next Wednesday could be interpreted as an endorsement of their activities.

The tension exemplifies concerns among conservative Catholics, including many bishops, that the White House will use the pope’s visit to play down its differences with church leaders on such contentious issues as same-sex marriage and the contraception mandate in the health care law."

This is gossip from an unnamed source and Francis X. Rocca has over blown things before. I am sure you can find someone with concern if you look hard enough, after all the conservative blogs (e.g.,Hot Air) are jumping on this. I wouldn’t expect them not to.

But is it really that important that we should worry about it? I would rather pray for the safety of the Holy Father during the trip and that the people of the USA listen to what he has to say.

Well, yes, I think it is important and that we should worry about it - speaking as an American Catholic who embraces the moral teaching of the Catholic Church (along with the remainder of doctrine of course) - what is the argument against worrying about it? Where am I going wrong when I take offense at Obama’s political manipulation of the Pope’s gesture of goodwill in meeting him? The fact that I am calling it out as manipulation - and the effect it will have, that it is calculated to have?

Maybe this will help the Pope see why conservative Catholics in the US are so jittery and defensive about social issues - after he has joined us on the hotseat for a little while. Remember Obama did the same thing when he visited Kenya not too long ago (i.e. referencing gay rights in a diplomatic apolitical setting) - so, again, I don’t think the intended impact of this gesture should be downplayed or pooh-poohed.

Here is an interesting article from Fox on whether the Pope will address uncomfortable issues during his visit:
foxnews.com/us/2015/09/18/pope-may-bring-uncomfortable-messages-to-america/?intcmp=hpbt3

No one expects the 78 year-old pontiff to the launch rhetorical grenades like those in some of speeches during his July trip to Latin America, including the assertion to Bolivian civil workers that “unfettered capitalism is the dung of the devil.” But few expect the Argentine pope to stray far from his core message that man must stop worshiping money and focus on the care of the poor and of the environment.

I do think the Pope with touch on immigration, the poor and the environment but I would be really surprised if he doesn’t touch on the family, abortion, etc. as well. I just hope it is not so smooth and noncontroversial no one picks up on it - I think this could happen - it will get ignored or spun by the media and/or various circles even within the Church.

 

[gilliam]

I do think the Pope with touch on immigration, the poor and the environment but I would be really surprised if he doesn’t touch on the family, abortion, etc. as well. I just hope it is not so smooth and noncontroversial no one picks up on it - I think this could happen - it will get ignored or spun by the media and/or various circles even within the Church.

He is attending a conference on the family.

 

[FollowChrist34]

He is attending a conference on the family.

Yes, with Archbishop Chaput no less. Let’s see how that plays in the media compared to the Spanish Mass in Washington DC and meeting gay Christians at the White House. All I am asking for is equal time - and I will bet that that is not close to what we will get. Hopefully I am wrong.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

On the eve of Pope Francis’s arrival in the U.S., the Vatican has taken offense at the Obama administration’s decision to invite to the pope’s welcome ceremony transgender activists, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and an activist nun who leads a group criticized by the Vatican for its silence on abortion and euthanasia.

wsj.com/articles/vatican-disputes-white-house-guest-list-for-papal-visit-1442533549

Apparently President Obama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is trying to raise Pope Francis’ consciousness.

 

[FollowChrist34]

wsj.com/articles/vatican-disputes-white-house-guest-list-for-papal-visit-1442533549

Apparently President Obama, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is trying to raise Pope Francis’ consciousness.

The Pope I believe has also agreed to address Congress. I would love to see a “response” worked in there - I’ll even write the speech if he would like. He feels uncomfortable in English. Seriously, the Vatican does need to push back on this - you can’t have the US President doing this to the Pope - PR disaster.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

The Pope I believe has also agreed to address Congress. I would love to see a “response” worked in there - I’ll even write the speech if he would like. He feels uncomfortable in English. Seriously, the Vatican does need to push back on this - you can’t have the US President doing this to the Pope - PR disaster.

Perhaps Congress could arrange to have abortion survivors and the couple who were driven out of business for refusing to bake a “gay marriage” cake there to greet Pope Francis.

 

[FollowChrist34]

Perhaps Congress could arrange to have abortion survivors and the couple who were driven out of business for refusing to bake a “gay marriage” cake there to greet Pope Francis.

Or Kim Davis in an ecumenical capacity - she is out of jail now.

Edit: Spoke too soon. Sounds like she may be back in jail soon - her licenses were edited unlawfully it appears. Maybe the Pope can visit her there.

 

[Catholic_Press]

Vatican officials are upset that the White House has invited a number of prominent Catholic dissenters to attend a reception for Pope Francis, according to a Wall Street Journal …

More…

 

[JimG]

What’s Behind the White House Invite to Catholic Dissenters at Papal Welcome?

The White House will host a welcoming ceremony for Pope Francis next week, but it has invited several “LGBT” activist allies who are working to target Catholic beliefs and to influence the synod on the family.

Read more: ncregister.com/daily-news/whats-behind-the-white-house-invite-to-catholic-dissenters-at-papal-welcome/#ixzz3m7yGYQSc

 

[rmartensjr]

foxnews.com/us/2015/09/17/gay-christians-controversial-nun-among-those-set-to-greet-pope-francis/?intcmp=hpbt3

Openly gay Christians, a controversial nun who clashed with the Catholic Church and a transgender woman are reportedly among the invited guests greeting Pope Francis at the White House next week, a move that one Catholic activist calls “an ambush” and “political stunt.”

While it is unclear if gay former Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, gay Catholic blogger Aaron Ledesma, Sister Simone Campbell or biological man Vivian Taylor will have the opportunity to meet the pontiff face to face, the quartet’s presence, along with many other guests, is seen by some as a visible nod to factions who would wish to nudge the Church left.

“This is definitely out of the ordinary,” said Michael Hichborn, president of the Catholic watchdog Lepanto Institute. “[President Obama is] trying to force the pope into a situation where it seems as if the Church is giving license to homosexuality and socialism.”

“You don’t treat the head of the Roman Catholic Church as a political toy in order to push your own agenda,” Hichborn told FoxNews.com.

 

[benjamindt]

that’s what you get when you team up with a party like the US Democratic Party. Team up with them on things like Global Warming, Illegal Immigration et al. but in the end they’ll still try to destroy you if you don’t agree with them 100%

 

[gnosisofthomas]

I don’t see this as trying to destroy anyone or anything at all. Gay and trans* Christians exist. Many, including myself, have felt alienated by the Catholic Church, feeling that there is no place for them there. Even if they don’t have the opportunity to speak at this, it’s good to have their presence acknowledged.

 

[CWN_News]

Vatican officials are upset that the White House has invited a number of prominent Catholic dissenters to attend a reception for Pope Francis, according to a Wall Street Journal …

More…

 

[CNA_News]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/i...wshutterstockcom_CNA_9_17_15JPG.jpgWashington D.C., Sep 18, 2015 / 04:22 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The presence of LGBT activists and other controversial guests at the White House welcoming ceremony for Pope Francis has reportedly drawn concern at the Vatican.

A senior Vatican official has said the Holy See is concerned that any photos of the Pope with the controversial guests could be interpreted as an endorsement, [Wall Street Journal writer Francis X. Rocca reported](http://www.wsj.com/articles/vatican-disputes-white-house-guest-list-for-papal-visit-1442533549) Sept. 17.

The White House directly invited some guests to the Sept. 23 South Lawn ceremony, including retired Episcopal Bishop V.Gene Robinson. His election as the first openly gay Episcopalian bishop helped split the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

The White House also invited the LGBT activist group GLAAD to the reception. The organization is circulating a media guide for the papal visit that encourages journalists to consult dissenting Catholic groups. It also portrays negatively several bishops and Catholic commentators and researchers who are opposed to LGBT political aims. The media guide contended that Catholic teaching can be "extremely harmful” to young people who identify as LGBT.

GLAAD said that they would be joined at the White House by Frank DeBernardo, executive director of the dissenting Catholic activist group New Ways Ministry, and Sister Jeannine Gramick, S.L., the organization's co-founder. The organization was rebuked by the Vatican and the U.S. bishops" conference for rejecting Catholic teaching.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest, speaking to reporters on Thursday, warned against drawing conclusions about specific attendees "because there will be 15,000 other people there too," the Wall Street Journal reports.

However, DeBernardo told the Washington Blade Sept. 16 he thought the presence of LGBT Catholics and activists "sends a strong message that LGBT people are a great concern of this administration."

GLAAD also invited its former intern Nicholas Coppola, who has protested New York's Diocese of Rockville Centre after he was removed as a catechist when he contracted a same-sex civil marriage.

Mateo Williamson, a past transgender caucus co-chair with the dissenting group Dignity USA will also attend.

The Catholic dissenting groups benefited from a 2014 grant of $200,000 from the Arcus Foundation. The foundation's grant listing said the funding was "to support pro-LGBT faith advocates to influence and counter the narrative of the Catholic Church and its ultra-conservative affiliates" ahead of the Synod on the Family.

The foundation is an LGBT advocacy partner of the U.S. State Department's Global Equality Fund. The foundation's executive director, Kevin Jennings, is a former Obama administration official. The foundation has dedicated over $2 million to target religious freedom protections in the U.S.

New Ways Ministry and Dignity USA are also involved in a global network of LGBT Catholic activists which is holding an assembly and advocacy conference in Rome ahead of the 2015 synod.

feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/catholicnewsagency/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/catholicnewsagency/dailynews/~4/xnCgrRLGeJA

Full article…

 

[Ned_Hill]

If I know Pope Francis as well as I think I do, he’ll show nothing but the utmost respect for each guest’s dignity as a human being and a child of God, regardless of how sinful we may consider them to be. If anyone wants him to publicly shame a controversial nun or a transgender woman, they’ll only be disappointed.

Of course.

They don’t expect him to shame them, although they would be giddy if that happened.

They expect him to do what you have said he will do (and I agree, by the way), and they will intentionally misuse his treatment of an individual as an endorsement of a movement.

They know what the Church teaches, that’s why they’re there. But Pope Francis will not falter on Catholic doctrine, and yet neither will he force these people out of his presence. They will receive acceptance and charity from the Holy Father, but they will not find the affirmation they so obviously seek. The Church does not bow to the whims of those who disagree with Her. If Nero couldn’t destroy the Church in its infancy, a few liberal guests certainly won’t today.

They misunderstand the nature of dogma. They believe that Francis can change dogma to “bring the Catholic Church out of the stone age.”

Everything you have said is true, but the bottom line is that this is a trap that they are setting for him. He will be himself, and they will be themselves…which means they will use his actions for their political purposes. The only way to stop them is to avoid the meeting altogether.

 

[FollowChrist34]

Of course.

They don’t expect him to shame them, although they would be giddy if that happened.

They expect him to do what you have said he will do (and I agree, by the way), and they will intentionally misuse his treatment of an individual as an endorsement of a movement.

They misunderstand the nature of dogma. They believe that Francis can change dogma to “bring the Catholic Church out of the stone age.”

Everything you have said is true, but the bottom line is that this is a trap that they are setting for him. He will be himself, and they will be themselves…which means they will use his actions for their political purposes. The only way to stop them is to avoid the meeting altogether.

Yes, whether the Pope likes it or not, he is basically entering enemy territory - the strongest secular liberal base in the West. Is this how St. Paul would meet with Roman pagan leaders or Jesus would meet Caesar? I have my doubts…but then we are all so much more civilized and “inclusive” today. I apologize for my rough edges.

I don’t know that he can pull out given said obligations of civility, diplomacy, but I think it is important he articulates very clearly what the Church stands for and why at key points in his visit. It has to be painfully, embarrassingly obvious - as painfully, embarrassingly obvious as the secular amoral righteousness that is being shoved in his face.

How he deals with this will be really key for me and how I feel about where the Catholic Church is headed.

 

[Caprotodox]

I don’t see this as trying to destroy anyone or anything at all. Gay and trans* Christians exist. Many, including myself, have felt alienated by the Catholic Church, feeling that there is no place for them there. Even if they don’t have the opportunity to speak at this, it’s good to have their presence acknowledged.

The Church already knows that homosexuals and transsexuals exists and acknowledges their condition. What is the purpose of having that activist group there other than to force it into the face of the Church and the billions of Catholics worldwide.

The truth is that the Obama administration is attempting to either set this secanrio up to make it appear as if the Church condones homosexual actions, and if that fails, then they will use it to try and shame the Church.

 

[Songcatcher]

Did someone say this was going to be in a crowd of 15,000? I suspect there will be a lot of sinners in the group. I imagine the Pope will welcome them all.

 

[FollowChrist34]

The Church already knows that homosexuals and transsexuals exists and acknowledges their condition. What is the purpose of having that activist group there other than to force it into the face of the Church and the billions of Catholics worldwide.

The truth is that the Obama administration is attempting to either set this secanrio up to make it appear as if the Church condones homosexual actions, and if that fails, then they will use it to try and shame the Church.

Yes, I see it as “holier than thou” - take my morality or else. Think of it as a human rights mission. A public statement, oh, and my guess is the media will make darn sure our homosexual, transsexual and transgender folks will get the headlines out of the 15,000 - that is unless there are any other activist groups - is a Planned Parenthood rep there - and if not, WHY NOT?