My Ethnic Relations class

[CatholicZ09]

I took a class this year called Ethnic Relations. It basically discusses the different types of bigotry that happen across the world, and we discuss current events as well. Our topic yesterday was same sex marriage. On talking about the subject, my teacher brought up Pope Francis. He told us that compared to the other popes, Pope Benedict, namely, Pope Francis seems like he is going to usher in a new light in the Catholic Church that will bring about same sex marriage and married clergy. He told the class that Pope Francis seems to be more “open-minded” and has stated that he may be in favor of marrying same sex couples. Of course, I’m just sitting there thinking, “NO, NO, NO!!!” Then he proceeds to say that the Catholic Church is stuck in the past and not moving on with the times.

Now, I haven’t watched the news in a while, but has Pope Francis commented on the issue of same sex marriage and married clergy? I mean, when he mentioned same sex marriage, I think he was referring to Pope Francis’ comment “If anyone is gay, who am I to judge?”. I just wanted to know if the Holy Father has brought up the subject again that would give my teacher these assumptions.

 

[ClearWater]

Now, I haven’t watched the news in a while, but has Pope Francis commented on the issue of same sex marriage and married clergy? I mean, when he mentioned same sex marriage, I think he was referring to Pope Francis’ comment “If anyone is gay, who am I to judge?”. I just wanted to know if the Holy Father has brought up the subject again that would give my teacher these assumptions.

Yes, he is **NOT **for same sex marriage. He’s made that crystal clear! Somebody on the forum will surely provide the link. I couldn’t find it.

They are talking about married clergy. It seems up for discussion. We have some married priests, now, actually. They are ones who were, say, Anglican priests who have converted to Catholicism are often permitted to convert and be priests in the Catholic faith.

 

[fastenatingguy]

I took a class this year called Ethnic Relations. It basically discusses the different types of bigotry that happen across the world, and we discuss current events as well. Our topic yesterday was same sex marriage. On talking about the subject, my teacher brought up Pope Francis. He told us that compared to the other popes, Pope Benedict, namely, Pope Francis seems like he is going to usher in a new light in the Catholic Church that will bring about same sex marriage and married clergy. He told the class that Pope Francis seems to be more “open-minded” and has stated that he may be in favor of marrying same sex couples. Of course, I’m just sitting there thinking, “NO, NO, NO!!!” Then he proceeds to say that the Catholic Church is stuck in the past and not moving on with the times.

Now, I haven’t watched the news in a while, but has Pope Francis commented on the issue of same sex marriage and married clergy? I mean, when he mentioned same sex marriage, I think he was referring to Pope Francis’ comment “If anyone is gay, who am I to judge?”. I just wanted to know if the Holy Father has brought up the subject again that would give my teacher these assumptions.

Google “excommunicated priest in Australia” for your answer

 

[Starrsmother]

I took a class this year called Ethnic Relations. It basically discusses the different types of bigotry that happen across the world, and we discuss current events as well. Our topic yesterday was same sex marriage. On talking about the subject, my teacher brought up Pope Francis. He told us that compared to the other popes, Pope Benedict, namely, Pope Francis seems like he is going to usher in a new light in the Catholic Church that will bring about same sex marriage and married clergy. He told the class that Pope Francis seems to be more “open-minded” and has stated that he may be in favor of marrying same sex couples. Of course, I’m just sitting there thinking, “NO, NO, NO!!!” Then he proceeds to say that the Catholic Church is stuck in the past and not moving on with the times.

Now, I haven’t watched the news in a while, but has Pope Francis commented on the issue of same sex marriage and married clergy? I mean, when he mentioned same sex marriage, I think he was referring to Pope Francis’ comment “If anyone is gay, who am I to judge?”. I just wanted to know if the Holy Father has brought up the subject again that would give my teacher these assumptions.

The saddest part of your post is that our tax dollars are paying for salaries of teachers like this one. Of course Pope Francis did not say he planned to change any such core church teaching. I don’ know your school set up, but if such a thing happened to my child, I’d hope that they would tell me— and I’d be just all over the local Board of Education over it! Talk to your parents–you will probably be tested on such junk and if you answer correctly may be penalized for it in your grading. This is ridiculous!

 

[Cathoholic]

CatholicZ09, you do understand that no Pope CAN change official teachings of the Catholic Church concerning faith and morals, even if they tried to? You DO understand this don’t you?

There are reasons WHY these teachings are still preserved. It hasn’t been “conservative” or “rigid” Popes.

If these people had the correct disposition, they would see these “unbending” teachings as evidence of God’s Divine protection.

Also:

Consider the point that fastenatingguy made below (I’ll get the beginning for you and the bold portion of the story is mine).

Vic priest excommunicated over teachings

**Patrick Caruana - September 21, 2013, 5:52 pm **

A Victorian Catholic priest who spoke out against the church’s positions on gay marriage and women becoming priests has been defrocked and excommunicated.

Former Western Port parish priest Greg Reynolds was this week presented with a letter from the Vatican, informing him that he had been** removed from the priesthood and excommunicated from the church**.

Mr Reynolds said he first fell out of favour three years ago when he voiced his support for women being allowed to become priests, contrary to the church’s official stance. . . .

. . . Mr Reynolds has also spoken out in favour of gay marriage. . . . .

. . . A spokesman for the Melbourne Archdiocese said the excommunication was ordered by Pope Francis.

Get the whole story here.

The upshot of all of this is:

A-Pope Francis must have had a change of heart and “got religion quick” ** . . . OR . . . **

B-Be very careful in trusting the mainstream media concerning Catholic doctrinal matters. They do NOT understand how the Church works. Be just as careful trusting college profs. interpreting the Church’s teachings. They are usually notoriously ignorant in such areas.

 

[mikecash]

I think others have already answered your question, but hopefully my response is still helpful. I’m not sure if you are in high school or college, but unfortunately almost all Christians these days have to endure people just like your teacher. I’m a law student and daily I hear from one of my professors about how abortion laws are designed to hurt women, the dark ages before everyone had access to the pill, and how the sexual abuse scandal of the Priesthood was an open secret for years. It is easy to get angry when you hear such things, especially about the Holy Father or Holy Mother Church. But, do not be troubled, for “If God is for us, who is against us?”

Remember the words of the enemy in the Garden, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Today’s moral relativist culture denies natural law and insists that they know good and evil. However, as we Christians know, we are a fallen people in need of the Lord to set us on the right path. The relativists will, however, accept nothing but absolute surrender from us on moral issues.

They love what they perceive Pope Francis to be. Sadly, the Pope has simply said only what we believe, namely that of course God loves homosexuals. When they see he brings the message of our Lord, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way," they love him. However, when they come to understand the Pope also conveys the second part of Christ’s statement, “and from now on do not sin again,” things will change.

Already, the same media that was gushing over the Pope on Thursday is today rushing to bring the world the story of the Pope excommunicating the Australian Priest. The exact same readers of the Huffington Post who were celebrating the Catholic Church’s surrender on morality on Thursday are today bashing the Holy Father with the same awful language they used on Pope Benedict. The article already has 2,000+ comments and comments are growing by the hour.

This switch in mood should be no surprise to us. As Scripture tells us, when the Lord commanded his disciples to Eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood, “Many of his disciples…said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’…After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.”

The world will come to understand Pope Francis is trying to lead them to Christ, not radically change the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, most will not be satisfied with this. They will go on hating the Church.

As you endure your class, remember the word’s of St. Peter.

Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Hang in there. I will pray for you. I hope you will pray for me as I struggle through my class. For all you must endure from this teacher, God will most likely give you one later that will grow your faith. Below is a great article by one of my former professors that was published today.

catholicvote.org/a-little-inspiration-for-catholic-professors/

 

[Starrsmother]

I think others have already answered your question, but hopefully my response is still helpful. I’m not sure if you are in high school or college, but unfortunately almost all Christians these days have to endure people just like your teacher. I’m a law student and daily I hear from one of my professors about how abortion laws are designed to hurt women, the dark ages before everyone had access to the pill, and how the sexual abuse scandal of the Priesthood was an open secret for years. It is easy to get angry when you hear such things, especially about the Holy Father or Holy Mother Church. But, do not be troubled, for “If God is for us, who is against us?”

Remember the words of the enemy in the Garden, “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Today’s moral relativist culture denies natural law and insists that they know good and evil. However, as we Christians know, we are a fallen people in need of the Lord to set us on the right path. The relativists will, however, accept nothing but absolute surrender from us on moral issues.

They love what they perceive Pope Francis to be. Sadly, the Pope has simply said only what we believe, namely that of course God loves homosexuals. When they see he brings the message of our Lord, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way," they love him. However, when they come to understand the Pope also conveys the second part of Christ’s statement, “and from now on do not sin again,” things will change.

Already, the same media that was gushing over the Pope on Thursday is today rushing to bring the world the story of the Pope excommunicating the Australian Priest. The exact same readers of the Huffington Post who were celebrating the Catholic Church’s surrender on morality on Thursday are today bashing the Holy Father with the same awful language they used on Pope Benedict. The article already has 2,000+ comments and comments are growing by the hour.

This switch in mood should be no surprise to us. As Scripture tells us, when the Lord commanded his disciples to Eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood, “Many of his disciples…said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?’…After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him.”

The world will come to understand Pope Francis is trying to lead them to Christ, not radically change the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, most will not be satisfied with this. They will go on hating the Church.

As you endure your class, remember the word’s of St. Peter.

Hang in there. I will pray for you. I hope you will pray for me as I struggle through my class. For all you must endure from this teacher, God will most likely give you one later that will grow your faith. Below is a great article by one of my former professors that was published today.

catholicvote.org/a-little-inspiration-for-catholic-professors/

And I heard today that old Nancy Pelosi got a letter from a cardinal at the Vatican today too–warning her she could no longer receive communion. If Francis excommunicates her–the press here will be trashing him too.

 

[Cathoholic]

CatholicZ09,

I just re-read my post:

CatholicZ09, you do understand that no Pope CAN change official teachings of the Catholic Church concerning faith and morals, even if they tried to? You DO understand this don’t you?

I apologize. It sounds too “smart-alecky”.

I didn’t mean it to come off this way but when I re-read the post later I was put off by my sentence (above).

Again my apologies and all the best concerning your prof.

I was actually thinking about college myself and perhaps my mind was on my interior question below.

“Is it too late to drop the class without getting a “W” on your transcript?” I am not asking you that here. I am just telling you I was preoccupied thinking it. Still no excuse though and I do apologize.

My prayers go out to you.

God bless.

Cathoholic

 

[ClearWater]

Isn’t that the same excommunication case where the priest also presided at a mass where a DOG was given communion?

protectthepope.com/?p=8379