US bishop promotes ‘celebration of Pride’ with prayer card, rainbow crucifix

[JimG]

For the next diocesan event, perhaps the bishop could take up Fr. Z’s recommendation regarding exorcisms.

Mail from a priest: "It finally dawned on me that the dysfunction could be demonic." Then a short rant from @FatherZ

A priest sent an interesting email, in the wake of what I wrote HERE about the need to perform exorcisms of all church properties. I short, I wrote: [...] If I were a diocesan bishop, I would immediately go through my entire cathedral and chancery and residence and exorcise the places using th

wdtprs.com

 

[KMG]

Father Martin is a master of creeping incrementalism.

Of course some people will always insist he must be given absolutely every benefit of the remotest, improbable of doubts about his agenda.

God bless the bishops who have cautioned against him.

 

[puppson]

Bolder and bolder.

 

[OraLabora]

The use of the rainbow, even the fake one, by a Catholic leader to show sympathy for homosexuality is very disturbing.

From the Catechism:

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

We are indeed to welcome gays into the Church. No discrimination means no discrimination within the Church either. Yes, as the Catechism notes, their vocation is to chastity, just as the vocation of any Catholic is to chastity according to their state in life. But as CCC2359 alludes to, it requires self-mastery. Not something that is acquired overnight. We should thus accept into the Church any gay man or woman, just as we would accept any sinner, and help them along in achieving that self-mastery in order to achieve a life of inner conversion leading to Christian perfection.

It won’t happen overnight. And most certainly, statement like yours will be very off-putting and ensure that no gay person will ever desire to enter the Church to start that process of conversion. The CCC clearly calls us to unconditional love for homosexuals, while at the same time encouraging them, with the help of sensitive spiritual directors and confessors, show them that God’s way is the path to true freedom. That applies equally to addicts, or people with other grave pathologies or habits, sexual or otherwise.

As Pope Francis eloquently says, means meeting them, as we do any grave sinner, where they are, in the here and now, showing them that Christians are loving people. If we push them away from the Church, the the loss of a soul will be on our conscience as well, and we may very well be held to account for that by He who shared meals with prostitutes and other sinners.

 

[puppson]

The use of the rainbow, even the fake one, by a Catholic leader to show sympathy for homosexuality is very disturbing.

Sometimes the truth is off putting.

 

[signit]

It won’t happen overnight. And most certainly, statement like yours will be very off-putting and ensure that no gay person will ever desire to enter the Church to start that process of conversion. The CCC clearly calls us to unconditional love for homosexuals, while at the same time encouraging them, with the help of sensitive spiritual directors and confessors, show them that God’s way is the path to true freedom. That applies equally to addicts, or people with other grave pathologies or habits, sexual or otherwise.

As Pope Francis eloquently says, means meeting them, as we do any grave sinner, where they are, in the here and now, showing them that Christians are loving people. If we push them away from the Church, the the loss of a soul will be on our conscience as well, and we may very well be held to account for that by He who shared meals with prostitutes and other sinners.

Perfect.

And this ties in with my earlier post and what some of the others said.

We have two choices.

We can get out the ol’ fire and brimstone and tell them that they’re sinners and that they’re going to hell. Trouble is, they’ve heard that before. In fact, they may have had past experiences with Christians who have been less charitable than we are, including family members.

Or we can start by showing them a positive message. Ours is a positive faith system, based on God’s love for us. Maybe they’ll see that, and then maybe come around and accept the rest of our beliefs.

 

[OraLabora]

The use of the rainbow, even the fake one, by a Catholic leader to show sympathy for homosexuality is very disturbing.

Sometimes the truth is off putting.

Homosexuality is a disorder, not a sin. Homosexuals are people, and sinners just like you or I, and bearing the same human, God-infused dignity as you or I. We are definitely to show sympathy to homosexuals. Otherwise we cannot claim to be Christian.

Homosexual acts are the sin, just as any other sexual act outside of marriage. But this needs to be addressed with a positive message of love and empathy and the beauty of liberation through inner conversion. I cannot help but have empathy for homosexuals as my own habitual sins are so difficult to overcome.

God loves all his creation. He sent us a redeemer to help us carry the weight of our sins and be forgiven for them when we (inevitably) fail and ask for His help.

Conversion is a life-long process. We cannot bar entry to the Church to homosexuals because they haven’t fully converted before entry, otherwise we have to bar entry to tax cheats, addicts, and any other sinner. And then we become a mutual self-congratulatory society:

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18, 11-14.

That is the off-putting truth: that sinners may be redeemed, and that they are welcome in to God’s house to ask for His help. It was a radical message in Christ’s time. It seems that for some, it is just as radical today and many cannot grasp it.

 

[signit]

The use of the rainbow, even the fake one, by a Catholic leader to show sympathy for homosexuality is very disturbing.

Sometimes the truth is off putting.

So it’s just the use of the rainbow you don’t agree with, not the quote from Psalm 139?

 

[puppson]

The fake rainbow is a mockery of God’s creation and the Noahic covenant. For a Catholic leader to use this symbol is appalling.

 

[puppson]

What other grave sexual sin receives so much publicity, so much special attention, or garners so much whining that the sinner isn’t being made to feel specially “welcomed?” Masturbation? No. Pedophilia? No. Fornication? No. Etc.
Every other Catholic sexual sinner is ashamed of their sin, not demanding some special victim status.
Muting now. Tired of the long winded sophistry.

 

[KMC]

What other grave sexual sin receives so much publicity, so much special attention, or garners so much whining that the sinner isn’t being made to feel specially “welcomed?” Masturbation? No. Pedophilia? No. Fornication? No. Etc.
Every other sexual sinner is ashamed of their sin, not demanding special victim status.
Muting now. Tired of the long winded sophistry.

I know how these debates go. Apparently, homosexual acts are in a special category unable to be compared to any other kind of sin. I would expect someone is going to call you out for the pedophila reference.

We should reach out to all, especially the marginalized. Christ died for all! But using a symbol that not only represents people, but their lifestyle, is not something that should be supported or condoned.

 

[JimG]

The Church faced the same problems nearly a thousand years ago. St. Peter Damien wrote a book about the problem and how to deal with it. Interestingly, Peter Damien included within the concept of “sodomy” contraception, masturbation, and any number of varieties of unnatural sexual practices.

Here is an article about Damien and here is an article about a new translation of his book.

 

[Peebo]

My only real objection would be using a crucifix in this way…Christ died for all of us…should we allow the crucifix to be use reflecting a satanic symbol because Christ dies for satanists as well…just leave the crucifix alone and don’t try to politicize it.

 

[KMC]

Not sure why your post was flagged. Apparently dissent is forbidden.

 

[KMC]

My only real objection would be using a crucifix in this way…Christ died for all of us…should we allow the crucifix to be use reflecting a satanic symbol because Christ dies for satanists as well…just leave the crucifix alone and don’t try to politicize it.

Agreed. I was reading up on the history of the rainbow flag. One of the original colors was hot pink, which stood for sex. This color was changed because hot pink is expensive for flag makers. Point being, part of the meaning of the rainbow flag seems to be an endorsement of the lifestyle. As such, its offensive to utilize a crucifix in conjunction with it (or other rainbow variants).

 

[puppson]

This is also the same bishop who attacked the Covington Catholic students before the whole story was out there and then refused to issue an apology when the truth came out. He also heavily implied that the students were racist.

Well he did issue a weak retraction. Followed immediately by attacking the boys for wearing souvenir hats (that they’d just bought). In the end, he still blamed it all on the teenagers.

 

[puppson]

I think it was the second paragraph. But Anonkin edited that out.

 

[puppson]

part of the meaning of the rainbow flag seems to be an endorsement of the lifestyle.

And of course it is. Though some will talk nonsense like “all homosexual Catholics are chaste and celibate.”

 

[MikeInVA]

We are indeed to welcome gays into the Church.

No, we are to welcome those who seek Christ, who want to follow His teachings. Like the man who was thrown out of the party for not wearing the proper garment, if you are not willing to accept the teachings of the Church you are not welcome.

 

[Dr_Meinheimer]

An other good post flagged by someone with an agenda, and supported by someone else with an agenda. Come on.