the Holy Father : It is the Same Lesson , but it is a Different Emphasis
.. At the end of a wonderfully rejuvenating World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis held an aerial press conference in
Pope Francis Portrait Painting (Photo credit: faithmouse)
which he commented on homosexuality.
.. this is what the Holy Father actually said , in tranlation :
If someone is gay and seeks the Lord and is of good will, who am I to judge that person? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very beautifully. … It says that these persons should not be marginalized.
.. It is true that Francis’s statements are noteworthy for using the word “gay,” he did nothing to reverse Church teaching or even undermine it, contrary to what media reports have suggested. In fact, Francis underscored Church teaching by citing the Catechism.
.. Given the stand of the media , these comments were ran in comparison to his predecessor , Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI . What the media ignore is that the language of the Catechism that speaks against marginalizing gay persons and, specifically, the Vatican letter “On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons” were written, overseen, and/or signed by none other than Benedict himself when he was still a cardinal. In light of these facts, the media meme of Francis being the Anti-Benedict is purely and simply false. Francis has obviously maintained the unity between the papacies and the teachings of the Church.
.. the Holy Fatherdid signal a shift in tone , as well as emphasis . That being said, while Francis has surely not undermined or changed anything on substance in this regard .The first reason is that he used the word “gay” instead of the more clinical term “homosexual” or cumbersome phrase “same-sex attracted.” Secondly, he acknowledged that gays can lead lives of good will and seek God without adding any condemnatory qualifications. None of this is to suggest that gays are no longer called to live lives of celibacy. But Francis’s shift in tone and emphasis, while staying true to Church teaching, still strikes as novel .
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- ACN interviews His Eminence Cardinal Schöenborn about the YOUCAT giveaway at WYD in Rio (aidchurch.wordpress.com)
- Pope Francis on gays: “The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies.” (seeker401.wordpress.com)
- Pope Francis on Gays: Who Am I to Judge? (thehollywoodgossip.com)
- What Pope Francis said on Gays (bpslayministry.wordpress.com)
- ‘Who am I to judge?’ pope says of gay priests (bostonherald.com)
