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SeanF1989
Guest
I am shocked too! I never thought I’d see Malta do this! 
I guess the Christian West is truly dead.
I guess the Christian West is truly dead.
M
McCall1981
Guest
Glad to read that Francis encouraged Mgr. Scicluna to speak out on this. I hope Francis himself will speak out as well.
C
ClearWater
Guest
Fewer and fewer things surprise me any more.
J
jediliz
Guest
there goes moving to Malta (if the USA continues its moral decline)…I thought they were a CATHOLIC COUNTRY…and the worse thing they had done in recent years was LEGALIZE divorce! Now they are allowing homosexual unions which in turn indirectly allow homosexuals to adopt!
Are there any truly Catholic countries that don’t allow abortion on demand or homosexual adoption and unions?
Are there any truly Catholic countries that don’t allow abortion on demand or homosexual adoption and unions?
V
Veridical16
Guest
Think about this in relation to the message of Fatima.I am shocked too! I never thought I’d see Malta do this!
I guess the Christian West is truly dead.
The Western world is being poisoned. The US being one of the main culprits exporting its culture of death.
Poland is also being under attack to adopt certain policies by compromised politicians who are influenced by the US and those who have the money.
It’s sad that even a tiny country like Malta has to give in, it started when they allowed divorce recently…
the US has been leaning and pressuring these countries, with bribes and other promises, to adopt contraception, homosexual policies.
(e.g. Phillippines, many South American countries) it’s a noticeable pattern and America should be prayed for that Mary will intercede that we may rectify the evils we have embraced , otherwise there is no way this country is blessed or will be blessed, because nations have a choice to either listen to God, or suffer the consequences.
The only countries not influenced by the West, of US-Anglo interests and its “foreign aid” policies are Russia, China and the Arab nations.
This also reminds me of a very relevant Fulton Sheen talk that he mentioned on at least two of his episodes of Life is Worth Living, and in his book “Life of Christ”. He talks about how the West embraced Christ without the Cross, and Russia embraced the Cross without Christ, and in his talk he believed Russia would find Christ first. This was half a century ago, when Russia was in the middle of its worst evil, and the US had its period of grace in its “Truth, Justice, American way” ideals
From Sheen ,* Life of Christ*
Looking at that now, even though I’ve been familiar with Sheen’s works. I’m a little bit chilled at such prophetic lines. One can certainly see the power of the Eucharist in illuminating the Bishops mind during his studies.
M
McCall1981
Guest
Here is another atricle on the topic that is a little more in depth:
cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/bishop-pope-shocked-gay-adoption-encouraged-me-speak-out
Bishop: Pope ‘Shocked’ By Gay Adoption, ‘Encouraged Me to Speak Out’
December 30, 2013 - 6:29 PM
By Michael W. Chapman
Subscribe to Michael W. Chapman RSS
Follow Michael W. Chapman on Twitter 32 19
Pope Francis and Maltese Bishop Charles Scicluna. (Photo: Sunday Times of Malta)
(CNSNews.com) – Pope Francis is “shocked” about legislation in Malta that would allow homosexual couples to adopt children and encouraged the auxiliary bishop of that island nation, Charles J. Scicluna, to “speak out” against the proposal, the bishop told the Sunday Times of Malta on Dec. 29.
In his Christmas Day sermon, Bishop Scicluna had defended the Catholic Church’s teaching against same-sex “marriage” and gay adoption. When asked why he would discuss such a topic as part of a Christmas homily, Bishop Scicluna said he had met with Pope Francis on Dec. 12 and the pope advised him to speak boldly on the subject.
“We discussed many aspects,” said Bishop Scicluna. “And when I raised the issue that’s worrying me as a bishop [gay adoption], he encouraged me to speak out.”
“[T]hat is exactly what I did in my Christmas sermon,” said Bishop Scicluna. “My sermon was not about the rights of gay people but about children’s rights.”
In his Christmas Day homily, the bishop had said, “The message of Christmas remains always a current message. It beckons and invites us to seek and recognize the true Wisdom that the manger of our Lord Jesus embraces ….
“Around the manger of baby Jesus there are also a woman and a man: the mother who gave him birth and her husband Joseph whom God chose to bring up, along with the mother, the child of Mary.
“God, who generated his Son as a human being without the participation of a man, did not want his Son as man to be brought up without the participation of a man. The silent and essential mission of Joseph was to ensure that the boy Jesus, in his upbringing as a man, was not deprived of a father’s affection and example.
“In the upbringing of his Beloved Son, God himself ordained and chose to be subjected to the wisdom and law of creation according to which a baby should be reared by a mother and father, by a couple made of a man and a woman and not by a couple made of woman and woman or a couple made of man and man.”
The Parliament of Malta introduced a Civil Unions Bill that includes gay adoptions in September. The proposal would give same-sex couple essentially the same rights as married couples under the law.
In late November, Bishop Scicluna discussed the Civil Unions Bill on the Maltese program “Dissett” and said, "While the sexual activity of heterosexual couples has a fundamental role in producing future members of the society, that of same-sex couples does not have a role in society as it does not produce offspring.”
Pope Francis, as the archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, said in July 2010 that same-sex marriage and adoption of children by gays will “seriously harm the family.”
As reported by the National Catholic Register, “In the coming weeks, the Argentine people will face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family. … At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”
Cardinal Bergoglio also said, “Let us not be naive: this is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan. It is not just a bill but a ‘move’ of the Father of Lies [Satan] who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
The Republic of Malta is a small island nation in the Mediterranean Sea south of Italy and north of Libya. The official languages there are Maltese and English. The official religion of the nation is Roman Catholicism and there are 360 churches on the two small islands (122 sq. miles) that comprise Malta.
cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/bishop-pope-shocked-gay-adoption-encouraged-me-speak-out
Bishop: Pope ‘Shocked’ By Gay Adoption, ‘Encouraged Me to Speak Out’
December 30, 2013 - 6:29 PM
By Michael W. Chapman
Subscribe to Michael W. Chapman RSS
Follow Michael W. Chapman on Twitter 32 19
Pope Francis and Maltese Bishop Charles Scicluna. (Photo: Sunday Times of Malta)
(CNSNews.com) – Pope Francis is “shocked” about legislation in Malta that would allow homosexual couples to adopt children and encouraged the auxiliary bishop of that island nation, Charles J. Scicluna, to “speak out” against the proposal, the bishop told the Sunday Times of Malta on Dec. 29.
In his Christmas Day sermon, Bishop Scicluna had defended the Catholic Church’s teaching against same-sex “marriage” and gay adoption. When asked why he would discuss such a topic as part of a Christmas homily, Bishop Scicluna said he had met with Pope Francis on Dec. 12 and the pope advised him to speak boldly on the subject.
“We discussed many aspects,” said Bishop Scicluna. “And when I raised the issue that’s worrying me as a bishop [gay adoption], he encouraged me to speak out.”
“[T]hat is exactly what I did in my Christmas sermon,” said Bishop Scicluna. “My sermon was not about the rights of gay people but about children’s rights.”
In his Christmas Day homily, the bishop had said, “The message of Christmas remains always a current message. It beckons and invites us to seek and recognize the true Wisdom that the manger of our Lord Jesus embraces ….
“Around the manger of baby Jesus there are also a woman and a man: the mother who gave him birth and her husband Joseph whom God chose to bring up, along with the mother, the child of Mary.
“God, who generated his Son as a human being without the participation of a man, did not want his Son as man to be brought up without the participation of a man. The silent and essential mission of Joseph was to ensure that the boy Jesus, in his upbringing as a man, was not deprived of a father’s affection and example.
“In the upbringing of his Beloved Son, God himself ordained and chose to be subjected to the wisdom and law of creation according to which a baby should be reared by a mother and father, by a couple made of a man and a woman and not by a couple made of woman and woman or a couple made of man and man.”
The Parliament of Malta introduced a Civil Unions Bill that includes gay adoptions in September. The proposal would give same-sex couple essentially the same rights as married couples under the law.
In late November, Bishop Scicluna discussed the Civil Unions Bill on the Maltese program “Dissett” and said, "While the sexual activity of heterosexual couples has a fundamental role in producing future members of the society, that of same-sex couples does not have a role in society as it does not produce offspring.”
Pope Francis, as the archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, said in July 2010 that same-sex marriage and adoption of children by gays will “seriously harm the family.”
As reported by the National Catholic Register, “In the coming weeks, the Argentine people will face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family. … At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be discriminated against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God’s law engraved in our hearts.”
Cardinal Bergoglio also said, “Let us not be naive: this is not simply a political struggle, but it is an attempt to destroy God’s plan. It is not just a bill but a ‘move’ of the Father of Lies [Satan] who seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
The Republic of Malta is a small island nation in the Mediterranean Sea south of Italy and north of Libya. The official languages there are Maltese and English. The official religion of the nation is Roman Catholicism and there are 360 churches on the two small islands (122 sq. miles) that comprise Malta.
V
VanSensei
Guest
Really, the civil unions bill is probably what’s best for them. It seems as if the Maltese people don’t mind it, as long as it’s not called “marriage”.
C
Cojuanco
Guest
The Philippines (though Washington has been trying to force their odious policies in Manila. The local version of the HHS Mandate was pushed through in exchange for military aid against Red China, and is being challeneged in court, but abortion or same-sex anything is pretty much off the table except for the far left.). Chile for now. Nicaragua and some of the other Central American countries (though Guatemala is IIRC now majority Protestant). For all intents and purposes Poland (abortion is theoretically merely heavily restricted, but IIRC so few doctors are willing to perform them that it’s more theory than practicd). Perhaps Hungary, though again not a majority Catholic country.
D
Darryl1958
Guest
I am shocked too, but who am I to judge?
S
SuperLuigi
Guest
What concerns me is that the Pope is surprised by this.
When are we going to stop being “surprised” and not be caught off-guard so much?
When God said the worldly ways were evil, He wasn’t kidding…
When are we going to stop being “surprised” and not be caught off-guard so much?
When God said the worldly ways were evil, He wasn’t kidding…
S
SuperLuigi
Guest
Well, maybe this will quell some notions that the Pope is a flaming Western liberal.
But there’s a reason why those who argue that are absent from this thread.
M
McCall1981
Guest
Very well said
Yup, and for the same reasons we won’t be seeing this story on National catholic Reporter or Yahoo News etcWell, maybe this will quell some notions that the Pope is a flaming Western liberal.
But there’s a reason why those who argue that are absent from this thread.
L
Lormar
Guest
I’m shocked that he’s shocked. Is it possible that he really isn’t aware of what is going on in the world outside of the only one he knew - Argentina?
M
Marie5890
Guest
If our beloved Holy Father is truly shocked, then he is far removed from today’s reality.
And THAT I find far more shocking…and sad…
Hopefully the Holy Father is not that out of touch with reality.
And THAT I find far more shocking…and sad…
Hopefully the Holy Father is not that out of touch with reality.
M
Marie5890
Guest
That was my first thought.
If he is honestly and truly that shocked, then he really is out of touch with today’s reality…
M
McCall1981
Guest
I really don’t think it’s meant in the sense that he’s shocked that such a thing as adoption by homosexuals exists.
Argentina legalized same sex couple adoption in 2005. He has also commented on this issue before (I think in his book “On Heaven and Earth”) so he was already aware of it.
I would think, or maybe hope, that it’s meant like he’s dismayed it happened in Malta.
M
mikekle
Guest
I am beginning to think all this Homosexual issues MAY be the great tribulation before the end times spoken of in the bible. It has the potential to destroy the church if taken far enough, especially if courts of law continue to side with homosexuals…this could bring down the church!
I could very well see once the gay community has their rights to marriage in all states, then they may start to go after ANY church that refuses to perform the marriage ceremony…and if it ends up in a court, who do you think the courts will side with?
I could very well see once the gay community has their rights to marriage in all states, then they may start to go after ANY church that refuses to perform the marriage ceremony…and if it ends up in a court, who do you think the courts will side with?
M
Marie5890
Guest
No no no no no
If one studies the history of human sexuality, one will see that the Church isnt going to crumble.
In both the ancient Greek and Roman empires, homosexuality was far from unusual…
C
canis73
Guest
I´m pretty sure “shocked” is not a proper term to describe Francis´ attitude. He opposed argentinean government a few years ago when the same sex marriage bill was passed, even though around 80% of the society approved such bill (90% of the population is catholic, go figure). He has also been the head of the bishops council of South America and traveled a lot.
Even though he has been profiled as an “outsider”, he has always been in touch with Rome and the curia, discrepancies aside. And he is a Jesuit
I wouldn´t worry the Holy Father has a wrong perception of the world´s challenges.
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