US Catholic Parish set to "Publicly Bless the Relationship of Same-Sex Couples"

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Since my coming into the light of Christ, I’ve learned some things about myself.
  1. I had some really bad habits. Of the sexual variety.
  2. I couldn’t stop doing them of my own will, no matter how hard i tried.
  3. With the help of Jesus and his Mother I came to defeat them.
We have to stop calling homosexuality/lesbianism a lifestyle. This is a consequence of our society’s thrust at feel-goodism. It’s not a lifestyle, it’s a sexual weakness. And gay people aren’t the only ones subject to it. A great deal of heterosexuals have gone through periods of sexual weakness and immorality. We don’t bless the adulterer do we? We don’t bless the masturbator and wish him well in his ways? A serial killer has a lifestyle, we don’t bless him. And why not?

I agree we must embrace the gay and lesbian community because there are many deep in need of faith and healing. We should reach out to them, and bring them into the light of Jesus, and his love will do them wonders, as it has done for me. BUT i disagree that we should bow to social pressure to bless these unions, for all the reasons mentioned in the above paragraph.

I hope that the cardinal can reel this one in, clean things up a little. We live in the truth of Christ and obey one Lord and Master, but sometimes we get caught up in the politics of this world.

Let us pray the the full strength of our union empowers the Cardinals and Bishops to have the courage to stand up to society and come out of the dark.
*
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done…*
 
SemperFidelis said:
Their Statement of Reconciliation was linked to earlier, but I think it should be posted for everyone here to see:

St. Frances Cabrini Parish

STATEMENT OF RECONCILIATION

We, the members of St. Frances Cabrini Parish, claim as our own the words of the Apostle Paul. “There is no longer Jew nor Greek, there is no longer slave nor free, there is no longer male and female: for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

As members of one body we are grieved by the separation of many of those Catholics who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual from the Catholic Church. We are aware of the centuries of oppression that these brothers and sisters have suffered at the hands of civil and religious authorities. We are aware of recent attempts by our bishops to label our brothers and sisters as “objectively disordered,” and to fight against their being granted their full civil rights.

We are also aware that these brothers and sisters have walked with us in our faith throughout the centuries. They have served the Church in every capacity, from the most humble to the most exalted. Despite the hostility they have encountered, they have by their actions proven to be true lovers of Jesus. In being honest about their sexual identity, they have embraced a difficult cross.

With this history in mind we commit ourselves and our community to:
  • Reach out to the gay/lesbian community, encouraging them to join our parish;
  • Regularly publish our welcome in the gay press;
  • Promise to educate ourselves about gay/lesbian issues and work to overcome stereotypes;
  • Include a gay/lesbian perspective in catechesis at all levels, including elementary school age;
  • Support lesbians and gay men in ways that promote stable, healthy relationships;
  • Publicly bless the relationships of a same sex couple after the couple completes a process of discernment similar to that completed by heterosexual couples before marriage; *
  • Stand willing to accept qualified, openly gay or lesbian priests or lay ministers;
  • Zealously work for and guard the civil rights of lesbians and gay men, knowing that all of our civil rights are compromised when theirs are;
  • Pray for greater understanding and acceptance of gay, and lesbian people in official Church teaching;
  • Encourage other parishes to become publicly reconciled with the gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual community.
  • Not being implemented at this time.
Approved August 1994
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johnstown_johnn said:
“Frances” Cabrini?

That parish wears a band of death around it. Evil has entered that parish. We may be seeing more and more of this I fear.
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I actually think we’ll be seeing less and less of this, as the era of the “aging hippies” comes to a close.
 
While I was on the parish’s website, I looked around and saw a few other things that disturbed me. Most notably, under the topic of confession, they said they have communal penetential services 2x a year (Advent and Lent) but for individual confessions, you need to schedule an appointment. How on earth can any priest expect the faithful to line up for confession if there are no regular times during the week when a person can have his or her confession heard anonymously? (sp). They also apparantly are willing to lease out the church to non-Catholics for the purpose of non-Catholic wedding ceremonies. Is it just me or does it seem wrong to allow a non-Catholic worship service to take place in a Catholic sancturary?

With these two things, it is not surprising that the parish has caved to secular opinion on issues related to homosexuality.

In addition to calling on the local A.Bishop to act, we should all pray for the members and priest of this parish that they may repent, and seek God’s forgiveness. It would be easier to do this if the parish had regular confessions.
 
I see nothing wrong with this. This blessing is not officially giving the sacrament. (he time may come when that is accepted in coming generations.)

This is a show of compassion and focusing on the similarities of people and not the differences.
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
I see nothing wrong with this. This blessing is not officially giving the sacrament. (he time may come when that is accepted in coming generations.)

This is a show of compassion and focusing on the similarities of people and not the differences.
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Wrong. This is a “blessing” of something that is disordered. :o
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
I see nothing wrong with this. This blessing is not officially giving the sacrament. (he time may come when that is accepted in coming generations.)

This is a show of compassion and focusing on the similarities of people and not the differences.
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Uh, did you actually READ the entire mission statement as posted above?
Support lesbians and gay men in ways that promote stable, healthy relationships;
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  • Publicly bless the relationships of a same sex couple after the couple completes a process of discernment similar to that completed by heterosexual couples before marriage; *
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This parish wants, essentially, to equate gay relationships with heterosexual marriage, which is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church. So there is something VERY WRONG with what they want to do.
 
wanner47 said:
Uh, did you actually READ the entire mission statement as posted above?

This parish wants, essentially, to equate gay relationships with heterosexual marriage, which is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Catholic Church. So there is something VERY WRONG with what they want to do.
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So, it is showing in a pilot project way (you can also look at Lutheran and Episopical churches for more examples) that the sky will not fall if a union is blessed. Remember what has been defined as “marriage” has varied over the centuries (e.g. from property to love).

Let say the Priest actually performs the ceremony. By the rules of Rome it would not be valid, but we really would not know what God would do, but I would say a true blessing of union would be imparted between the two people ready to commit to each others, so then the sacrament may be passed in all but name only.
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
Remember what has been defined as “marriage” has varied over the centuries (e.g. from property to love).
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To be more accurate, what marriage is varies from culture to culture. In the cultures most imbued with Judeo-Christian values, marriage always meant sharing of both love and property, between a man and a woman. (In some rare cases in ancient times a Jewish a marriage could involve more than one woman, but the women were not considered married to one another).
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
So, it is showing in a pilot project way (you can also look at Lutheran and Episopical churches for more examples) that the sky will not fall if a union is blessed. Remember what has been defined as “marriage” has varied over the centuries (e.g. from property to love).
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What has been defined as “marriage” by the Catholic Church has not changed in 2,000 years. Jesus’ teaching on marriage is clear. One man, one woman, one flesh – and no divorce.

If the parish does not believe the above, they should quit pretending they’re a Catholic parish and start calling themselves Lutheran or Episcopalian.
Let say the Priest actually performs the ceremony. By the rules of Rome it would not be valid, but we really would not know what God would do, but I would say a true blessing of union would be imparted between the two people ready to commit to each others, so then the sacrament may be passed in all but name only.
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God has spoken on this through the Catholic Church. The union would not be blessed by God; He would consider the two people to be fornicating and thus in a state of unrepentant mortal sin, putting their souls in jeopardy of damnation.

Again, if the parish does not believe the above, they should quit pretending they’re a Catholic parish and start calling themselves Lutheran or Episcopalian.
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
(the time may come when that is accepted in coming generations.)
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If this time comes (which it will not), then the Church has erred and ceases to be the Church. At that point I, as well as anybody who is serious about their faith, will start looking elsewhere.
 
NewUlm1976_2000 said:
So, it is showing in a pilot project way (you can also look at Lutheran and Episopical churches for more examples)
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Yes, and it has done wonders for both of those communities. Are you blind? They are both falling apart. For this, as well as other issues, such as “women priests.”
that the sky will not fall if a union is blessed.
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Yes, it will. Read above. The Episcopalians are a prime example. Even if the sky doesn’t fall, the Church has still erred, in which case it never was the Church founded by Jesus anyway.
Remember what has been defined as “marriage” has varied over the centuries (e.g. from property to love).
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That’s a far cry, from condoning and allowing gay marriage. Show me an infallible statement, just one, where the Church has said that for all time, women should be treated as property by men.
Let say the Priest actually performs the ceremony. By the rules of Rome it would not be valid,
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It is heresy to condone the act, which is what blessing a gay union would be. This is clearly a case of “Roma locuta est, causa finita est.”
but we really would not know what God would do
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Yeah we do, because he gave us his thoughts on homosexuality in the Bible, and it is clear it is a “no way, no how” kind of thing.
but I would say a true blessing of union would be imparted between the two people ready to commit to each others,
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Yes, because we should once again condone something we are totally and completely against.
so then the sacrament may be passed in all but name only.
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Then, what’s the point? Besides sending off the wrong signals to good and faithful Catholics everywhere, not to mention everybody else on the planet, this accomplishes nothing.
 
wanner47 said:
What has been defined as “marriage” by the Catholic Church has not changed in 2,000 years. Jesus’ teaching on marriage is clear. One man, one woman, one flesh – and no divorce.

If the parish does not believe the above, they should quit pretending they’re a Catholic parish and start calling themselves Lutheran or Episcopalian.

God has spoken on this through the Catholic Church. The union would not be blessed by God; He would consider the two people to be fornicating and thus in a state of unrepentant mortal sin, putting their souls in jeopardy of damnation.

Again, if the parish does not believe the above, they should quit pretending they’re a Catholic parish and start calling themselves Lutheran or Episcopalian.
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Here, here!
 
Gee, after the Church protesting the same sex marriage laws so much, it’s surprising that the Church blesses same-sex unions. Rather schitzophrenic even :confused:
 
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