German cardinal urges pastoral care, but not ‘blessing’ of gay couples

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see http://catholicphilly.com/2018/02/n...astoral-care-but-not-blessing-of-gay-couples/

“The president of the German bishops’ conference urged priests to provide better pastoral care to Catholics who are homosexual, but he said, ‘I think that would not be right’ when asked if he could imagine the Catholic Church blessing gay couples.”

On February 7 the German bishops’ conference released an English translation of his actual remarks.

“Some English-language media and blogs portrayed Cardinal Marx’s remarks as meaning he ‘endorses’ such blessing ceremonies.”
 
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He said it was up to individual pastors. “It would not be right” to have a general rule in the church about it, he said. But for blessings, it would depend on the circumstance.
There are no general solutions and I think that would not be right, because we are talking about pastoral care for individual cases, and that applies to other areas as well, which we cannot regulate, where we have no sets of rules.
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https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/...-same-sex-couples-40772#.WniKlJCg9Fg.facebook
 
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He is dialing it back here. Interesting. I guess we’re not quite ready for next new wave. Still don’t completely have communion for the divorced remarried (and all that opens up ‘pastorally’) in the bag. There’s still time, no worries. Jumping the gun.
 
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Yep. Must have realized his words didn’t fair quite so well.
 
It was likely a test balloon, to see how fast the intended revolution can be attempted.

There is a palpable sense of urgency right now in some circles. The pontiff is over 80, past the age at which Benedict abdicated. There is a palpable sense of needing to rush through as many things as possible before the next conclave…since there is likely a fear in some circles that the pendulum is going to swing pretty powerfully next time around…
 
I find this back tracking telling, considering it is a foregone conclusion that all priests need to be pastoral. That is what they do as a pastor!

Pastoral does not include blessing something that intrinsically evil.
 
KMG said:
The pontiff is over 80, past the age at which Benedict abdicated.
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Benedict was 85 (almost 86) when he stepped down. Francis is 81. He still has 4 1/2 years to go before he is as old as Benedict was when he abdicated.
 
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