Rainbow Sash

[Crusader]

Per EWTN, Roger Cardinal Mahony has announced that those Rainbow Sash Coalition members who wear a rainbow patterned sash to Mass will be welcomed at Holy Communion. Other Church leaders in the US like Francis Cardinal George of Chicago said exactly the opposite – that members wearing the rainbow sash will not be admitted to Holy Communion.

The Rainbow Sash Coalition is a homosexual activist group that openly disputes Church teachings. How could anyone who advertises that they dispute Church teachings be allowed to receive Holy Communion?

I think this is a perfect example of why so many orthodox Catholics lament the fact that Mahony is the archbishop of the largest (by far) archdiocese in the USA.

 

[Fullsizesedan]

How could anyone who advertises that they dispute Church teachings be allowed to receive Holy Communion?

I think that the church and Cardinal Mahoney are trying to expand the church’s base into the growing gay community in this country. The number of active heterosexual catholics has been decreasing in recent years, and the church needs to try to fill the gap.

Perhaps Mahoney has the wrong idea, and at least one prelate (George) apparently disagrees with his approach, but at least he recognizes the problem.

I don’t think there is any real purpose in criticizing Mahoney unless you at least have an alternative idea to fill the pews.

 

[srkbdk]

The Church first and foremost has to be about the truth not filling pews. It must teach truth and we love the Homosexual but hate the sin. It is a moral wrong and must be called that. I have not read both Bishops statements so will not comment on what they said or why. It must be made clear better to close Catholic Churchs than give up on the truth to fill pews.

 

[123]

what does -filling the pews- have to do with whether Communion should be given to someone?

 

[Fullsizesedan]

I think that Mahoney et al, are just trying to reach out to the growing gay community in an attempt to evangelization, just as they might do with any other growing minority.

 

[baltobetsy]

Fullsizesedan:

I think that Mahoney et al, are just trying to reach out to the growing gay community in an attempt to evangelization, just as they might do with any other growing minority.

If it were true evangelization, they would reach out to them in truth, telling them what the Church teaches about homosexuality - that the inclination is disordered and to act on it is mortally sinful; therefore they are called to continence, and when they acknowledge this and begin to struggle to live according to the truth, then they are welcome to receive the Sacraments. (wow - there’s a run-on sentence!) Evangelization is service to souls, and it is no service at all to allow them to commit sacrilege upon sacrilege, taking themselves further and further away from God.

Betsy

 

[Crusader]

Fullsizesedan:

I think that the church and Cardinal Mahoney are trying to expand the church’s base into the growing gay community in this country. The number of active heterosexual catholics has been decreasing in recent years, and the church needs to try to fill the gap.

Perhaps Mahoney has the wrong idea, and at least one prelate (George) apparently disagrees with his approach, but at least he recognizes the problem.

I don’t think there is any real purpose in criticizing Mahoney unless you at least have an alternative idea to fill the pews.

I’ll ask the question again. How could an archbishop allow Holy Communion to be given to someone who overtly advertises that they dissent from Church Teachings, at the time they are trying to receive Communion?

Also, any proof to back-up your statement *“the number of active heterosexual catholics has been decreasing in recent years…”? *

Given that the Church is gowing the fastest in Latin America and Third World Countries, I would guess the exact opposite is the case.

 

[Crusader]

srkbdk:

The Church first and foremost has to be about the truth not filling pews. It must teach truth and we love the Homosexual but hate the sin. It is a moral wrong and must be called that. I have not read both Bishops statements so will not comment on what they said or why. It must be made clear better to close Catholic Churchs than give up on the truth to fill pews.

Amen.

If I formed a group called the “Plaid Sash Coalition”, and nationally advertised it as a group that rejected the Church’s teachings on sex outside of marriage and as a group that embraced the pro-abortion stance, you can bet said group would be sanctioned – and rightly so.

 

[Crusader]

123:

what does -filling the pews- have to do with whether Communion should be given to someone?

Some suggest that some in the Church dumb-down the idea of sin in order to not offend – and in the process, put more people in the pews.

 

[Crusader]

Fullsizesedan:

I think that Mahoney et al, are just trying to reach out to the growing gay community in an attempt to evangelization, just as they might do with any other growing minority.

You didn’t answer my question. I’ll state it again.

**How could anyone who advertises that they dispute Church teachings be allowed to receive Holy Communion?
**

 

[Kadee]

All of you emailers have to keep in mind that the change has happened in public. I live in Long Beach, CA a largely homosexualy city. EVERYONE here not only accepts, but embraces homosexuality as the next great thing. For the church to be so behind is unbelieveable in the minds of homosexual Catholics here. There is no condemnation here. There are no strange looks here. There is no unacceptance here. Homosexual couples kiss in public here, and everyone coos about how cute it is, except me. It is so engrained that is is revered instead of prayed about. SOOOO - Catholics have to get the beads out and get serious. Our job is laid out before us. We need to turn back a huge tide of thoughts and attitudes, and the time to do it is now, before it becomes even more ingrained. Roger Mahoney has, for years, coddled the homosexual community here, and we have to stop that. We need to organize like the homosexuals did in the seventies to change the DSM II. We need to be the SQUEAKY WHEEL, instead of letting the homosexuals be it. We need to speak up, and socially diapprove of the behavior, no matter how ostrasized we become.

Any concrete ideas??

God Bless you all.

Kadee

 

[Crusader]

Kadee:

All of you emailers have to keep in mind that the change has happened in public. I live in Long Beach, CA a largely homosexualy city. EVERYONE here not only accepts, but embraces homosexuality as the next great thing. For the church to be so behind is unbelieveable in the minds of homosexual Catholics here. There is no condemnation here. There are no strange looks here. There is no unacceptance here. Homosexual couples kiss in public here, and everyone coos about how cute it is, except me. It is so engrained that is is revered instead of prayed about. SOOOO - Catholics have to get the beads out and get serious. Our job is laid out before us. We need to turn back a huge tide of thoughts and attitudes, and the time to do it is now, before it becomes even more ingrained. Roger Mahoney has, for years, coddled the homosexual community here, and we have to stop that. We need to organize like the homosexuals did in the seventies to change the DSM II. We need to be the SQUEAKY WHEEL, instead of letting the homosexuals be it. We need to speak up, and socially diapprove of the behavior, no matter how ostrasized we become.

Any concrete ideas??

God Bless you all.

Kadee

1.) Long Beach is not “largely” homosexual. Belmont Shores perhaps, and certainly Laguna Beach in OC, but not Long Beach.

2.) The Church is driven by God, not popular culture.

3.) The Archdiocese of LA will improve a great deal when Mahony retires – or is forced to resign.

 

[dutch]

I’ve tried to give that guy the benefit of the doubt but he’s a terrible bishop. He is the summation of everything wrong with the church today.

If it’s a sin for a man to lust over a woman in his mind, imagine how offensive homosexual behavior is to God. The reason we have this crisis in numbers of vocations and priest sexual abuse has much to do with the widespread relativism about sexuality. Now we have a cardinal of the largest archdiocese in the US welcoming people with sexual disorders.

There is nothing worse than a liberal relativistic bishop. We can only hope for his conversion or removal.

 

[frleo]

Fullsizesedan:

I think that the church and Cardinal Mahoney are trying to expand the church’s base into the growing gay community in this country. The number of active heterosexual catholics has been decreasing in recent years, and the church needs to try to fill the gap.

Perhaps Mahoney has the wrong idea, and at least one prelate (George) apparently disagrees with his approach, but at least he recognizes the problem.

I don’t think there is any real purpose in criticizing Mahoney unless you at least have an alternative idea to fill the pews.

I see that a lot has been said since this comment was made, but I’d like to offer one solution to “fill the pews.” Teach the Theology of the Body. If Catholics were open to life, they’d be filling the pews. Sex in it’s proper context should be preached. The truth can help change the tide in both respect to helping homosexuals understand how they should live and filling the pews with, I hope, good and faithful Catholics. Just MHO.

 

[Crusader]

frleo:

I see that a lot has been said since this comment was made, but I’d like to offer one solution to “fill the pews.” Teach the Theology of the Body. If Catholics were open to life, they’d be filling the pews. Sex in it’s proper context should be preached. The truth can help change the tide in both respect to helping homosexuals understand how they should live and filling the pews with, I hope, good and faithful Catholics. Just MHO.

What do you mean?

 

[Crusader]

dutch:

I’ve tried to give that guy the benefit of the doubt but he’s a terrible bishop. He is the summation of everything wrong with the church today.

If it’s a sin for a man to lust over a woman in his mind, imagine how offensive homosexual behavior is to God. The reason we have this crisis in numbers of vocations and priest sexual abuse has much to do with the widespread relativism about sexuality. Now we have a cardinal of the largest archdiocese in the US welcoming people with sexual disorders.

There is nothing worse than a liberal relativistic bishop. We can only hope for his conversion or removal.

1.) This was the archbishop that said the “crisis of vocations” was a blessing from God because it allowed the laity to become more involved.

2.) This is the bishop that wrote the extremely lamentable “Gather Together Faithfully”

3.) The Church SHOULD welcome all people with sexual disorders. The Church SHOULD NOT welcome those to Holy Communion who advertise the fact that they reject teachings of the Church – and of God.

 

[frleo]

Crusader:

What do you mean?

If practicing Catholics understood that the body was made for a faithful union between one man and one woman, and that the purpose of that union was for the procreation and education of children, not simply sexual pleasure, and if they truly practiced it, then (1) homosexuals would be hearing the message re-enforced that sex is not an act of pleasure, and perhaps we could change some attitudes and they’d look at chasity, thus living out their faith (we would not be supporting them in their sinfulness and dissent); (2) married couples would be open to children, thus “filling the pews” with little ones, who, overtime will hopefully do the same.

The way Catholics are going to understand it is for priests to preach and teach the concepts presented by JPII in his Theology of the Body.

I realize that this strays a bit from your original question, but in response to Fullsizesedan’s remarks I added mine.

I guess I’m trying to point out we can be faithful and fill the pews instead of reaching out to dissidents and making them feel good and using the fill the pew argument as justification.

I am in no way supporting giving communion to those who openly dissent from official Catholic teachings. If as the Fullsizesedan stated it was an attempt to fill the pews by reaching out to open dissenters, then I hope they realize there are other options and look to those instead, if that is Card. Mahoney’s reason for doing it.

 

[dutch]

I agree, the church is here to help people with sexual disorders. I should have worded it better. The problem is that he’s sending mixed messages where he should be admonishing people with sexual disorders and encouraging them to strive for holiness. Go to confession and fight the good fight until the end - never give up.

 

[Crusader]

frleo:

If practicing Catholics understood that the body was made for a faithful union between one man and one woman, and that the purpose of that union was for the procreation and education of children, not simply sexual pleasure, and if they truly practiced it, then (1) homosexuals would be hearing the message re-enforced that sex is not an act of pleasure, and perhaps we could change some attitudes and they’d look at chasity, thus living out their faith (we would not be supporting them in their sinfulness and dissent); (2) married couples would be open to children, thus “filling the pews” with little ones, who, overtime will hopefully do the same.

The way Catholics are going to understand it is for priests to preach and teach the concepts presented by JPII in his Theology of the Body.

I realize that this strays a bit from your original question, but in response to Fullsizesedan’s remarks I added mine.

I guess I’m trying to point out we can be faithful and fill the pews instead of reaching out to dissidents and making them feel good and using the fill the pew argument as justification.

I am in no way supporting giving communion to those who openly dissent from official Catholic teachings. If as the Fullsizesedan stated it was an attempt to fill the pews by reaching out to open dissenters, then I hope they realize there are other options and look to those instead, if that is Card. Mahoney’s reason for doing it.

Thanks for the comments and I agree.

Unfortunately the Church is still losing a great deal of credibility through the actions of many of its bishops and archbishops.

I think people are getting pretty fed-up…

 

[BobCatholic]

Crusader:

Per EWTN, Roger Cardinal Mahony has announced that those Rainbow Sash Coalition members who wear a rainbow patterned sash to Mass will be welcomed at Holy Communion.

What a mistake this guy is making.