Pope Says He Won't Judge Gay Priests

philly.com ^ | 7/29/13 | Nicole Winfield

[SoFloFreeper]

Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, saying he wouldn't judge priests for their sexual orientation in a remarkably open and wide-ranging news conference as he returned from his first foreign trip...

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Francis asked.

His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, signed a document in 2005 that said men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be priests. Francis was much more conciliatory, saying gay clergymen should be forgiven and their sins forgotten.

Francis' remarks came Monday during a plane journey back to the Vatican from his first foreign trip in Brazil.

He was funny and candid during a news conference that lasted almost an hour and a half. He didn't dodge a single question, even thanking the journalist who raised allegations reported by an Italian newsmagazine that one of his trusted monsignors was involved in a scandalous gay tryst.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Pope Francis' native language is Spanish. Therefore the original language of the interview was in Spanish. If the Spanish language media is to be believed, he did use the word "gay" in the original. This I find to be very troubling, as using their erroneous propagandist terminology is indeed a capitulation.

Papa Francisco: "¿Quién soy yo para criticar a un gay?"

- Are you scared when he saw the report Vatileaks?

-No. -No. Les voy a contar una anécdota sobre el informe Vatileaks. Let me tell you a story about the report Vatileaks. Cuando fui a ver al papa Benedicto , después de rezar en la capilla nos reunimos en el estudio y había una caja grande y un sobre. When I went to see Pope Benedict , after praying in the chapel we met in the studio and had a big box and an envelope. Benedicto me dijo: 'en esta caja grande están todas las declaraciones que han prestado los testigos. Benedict said, 'in this big box are all statements that have provided witnesses. Y el resumen y las conclusiones finales están en este sobre. And the summary and conclusions are in this envelope. Y aquí se dice ta, ta, ta.' And here is said ta, ta, ta. ' ¡Lo tenía todo en la cabeza! I had it all in his head! Pero no, no me asusté. But no, I was scared. Es un problema grande, pero no me he asustado. It is a big problem, but I have not scared.

- Una pregunta un poco delicada. - A question a little delicate. La historia de monseñor Ricca ha dado la vuelta al mundo, ¿cómo va a afrontar este asunto y todo lo relacionado con el supuesto lobby gay en el Vaticano? The story of Monsignor Ricca has been around the world, how will you address this issue and everything related to the alleged gay lobby in the Vatican?

-Con respecto a monseñor Ricca, he hecho lo que el derecho canónico manda hacer, que es la investigación previa. -With regard to Bishop Ricca, I did what canon law commanded to do, which is previous research. Y esta investigación no dice nada de lo que se ha publicado. And this study says nothing about what has been published. No hemos encontrado nada. We have found nothing. Pero yo querría agregar una cosa: muchas veces en la Iglesia se va a buscar los pecados de juventud y se publican. But I would add one thing: many times in the Church is to find the sins of youth and published. Y hablo de pecados, no delitos como los abusos de menores. And speaking of sins, crimes such as child abuse. Pero si una persona -laica, cura, o monja- comete un pecado y luego se arrepiente, el Señor la perdona. But if a person-secular priest or nun commits a sin and then repents, the Lord forgives. Y cuando el Señor perdona, olvida. And when the Lord forgives, He forgets. Lo importante es hacer una teología del pecado. The important thing is to make a theology of sin. Muchas veces pienso en San Pedro: hizo de los peores pecados, renegar de Cristo. I often think of St. Peter made the worst sins, deny Christ. ¡Y con ese pecado lo hicieron Papa! And with that sin did Pope!

-¿Y el lobby gay? - And the gay lobby?

-Se escribe mucho del lobby gay. He writes a lot of the gay lobby. Todavía no me encontré con ninguno que me dé el carnet de identidad en el Vaticano donde lo diga. Yet I found none to give me photo ID at the Vatican that says so. Dicen que los hay. They say no. Cuando uno se encuentra con una persona así, debe distinguir entre el hecho de ser gay del hecho de hacer lobby, porque ningún lobby es bueno. When you meet a person, you must distinguish between being gay lobbying the fact, because no lobby is good. Si una persona es gay y busca al Señor y tiene buena voluntad, ¿quién soy yo para criticarlo? If a person is gay and seek the Lord and has good will, who am I to criticize? El catecismo de la Iglesia católica lo explica de forma muy linda esto. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it very cute this. Dice que no se deben marginar a estas personas por eso. He says that you should not marginalize people for that. Hay que integrarlas en la sociedad. Should be integrated into society. El problema no es tener esta tendencia. The problem is not having this trend. Debemos ser hermanos. We must be brothers. El problema es hacer un lobby. The problem is to make a lobby.

[stanne]

You cannot nor will not prove it

The Catholic Church btw simply does not teach that the only way to salvation is through it

In fact what it does say is that Jesus was/is her for everyone not just Catholics

So you might want to get over pretending to know what yhe Chirch says about anything without looking at and reading tha Catechism

Honestly, the antocatholicism and willful ignorance of it on FreeRepublic is so hateful it is inbearable

Ths conversation is over

[jboot]

I believe that Francis I was merely being gracious to celibate homosexual priests and assuring them that there was no witch hunt in the offing. My issue was with his verbiage. Like it or not, anything he says publically will be distorted, spun and propagandized by the media. In this environment, conciliatory overtures dealing with explosive topics would be better handled in private, away from cameras and microphones.

This goes for all religious leaders, not just the Pope. Now is the time to be wise as serpents.

[ElkGroveDan]

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

Who are ANY of us to judge? Change the word "gay" to any other sin and you have one of the core foundations of Christianity.

"If someone is a sinner and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"

So far I'm OK with this Pope despite the media's attempts to stir up dissent among the Faithful.

[RummyChick]

“Plus the number of priests who abuse is really very, very small. There are more in other professions who have been abusive.”

LOLOLOLOL

BS.

So many lives have been ruined because the Catholic Church let abusers run free to molest again and again and again.

No wonder some of the Dioceses have gone bankrupt.

[stanne]

I am saying that we are talking about homosexuality per the headline

If you would care to argue facts of the Church teaching and the power of the Pope go see a proest if you have an ounce of courage

But i am not going to talk to you here about anything other than the headline and article because you are full of tome wasting anticatholic and ignorant anticatholicism

Thre is a catechism available for $9 or at the library

I refer you to that to alleviate your ignorance of the church

Also the pope does not ignore it as do our leaders ignore the constitution

It doesnt work that way

[RummyChick]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9906191/Cardinal-OBrien-makes-sexual-conduct-admission-as-new-gay-accusations-emerge.html

“For the first time, it emerged that the accusations included attempting to touch, kiss, or have sex with them.

One of the accusers also claimed that the Church wanted to “crush” him and that he had been warned not to let the allegations become public or risk “immense damage” to it. “

[don-o]

If the Spanish language media is to be believed, he did use the word "gay" in the original. This I find to be very troubling, as using their erroneous propagandist terminology is indeed a capitulation.

Someone more skilled than I should be able to search for the word "gay" on Vatican communications. Possibly some sense of proportion could be brought into the discussion.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"How can a man that has taken a vow of chastity even HAVE a sexual orientation?"

If by "orientation" you mean "sexual attraction," then yes, I suppose everyone has a sexual orientation, at least between the ages of 13 and 83, with some leeway at both ends of the timeline.

Attraction is an involuntary thing, sometimes good (as in, strong attraction to your spouse or spouse-to-be) and sometimes bad (as in, strong attraction to somebody else's); if it constitutes a temptation to sin, one should try to minimize it, as in the duty to "avoid the near occasions of sin."

"How does someone even find OUT what a priest's sexual orientation IS?"

Seminarians go through pretty serious psychological scrutiny and interviews (with them as well as often their family and friends) before being considered for ordination. Sexual history and orientation would come up here.

As for someone who's already ordained: I don't know. You could ask. But unless you had some serious reason to ask, it's none of your business.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Ref, you’re so often a voice of reason. Thank you.

[upcountryhorseman]

God will judge them!

[Brian Kopp DPM]

https://www.google.com/#q=gay+site:vatican.va

[haffast]

Only believe the Catholic press.

Pope names Vatican official as successor to Cardinal Keith O’Brien
Catholic Herald UK ^ | Wednesday, 24 July 2013 | By Staff Reporter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3047042/posts

[RummyChick]

“Seminarians go through pretty serious psychological scrutiny and interviews (with them as well as often their family and friends) before being considered for ordination. Sexual history and orientation would come up here. “

But what happens when the person above you is Gay and makes advances and you are told you will be crushed by the Church if you go public???

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21565750

It seems a lot of people that should not have been ordained..get ordained.

[CodeToad]

“Homosexuals tithe, too!”

That’s what I heard.

[Biggirl]

You know I am RIGHT and I stand by my position.

Your opinion and your opinion alone.

You have been put on ignore. Goodbye.

[volunbeer]

I am not Catholic, but I don’t trust anything the media says in regards to homosexuality. It is the biggest agenda currently and they twist anything someone says about it to fit the agenda.

Will let the dust settle and if the Pope feels he was misquoted or taken out of context he will correct it. I would urge you to not get upset about it. FR is full of people who jump too conclusions immediately on the first thread and some of them won’t change their minds because they have their own agenda. I am guilty of jumping to conclusions (we all are), but I am willing to say I was wrong later.

Do you not believe those who would deceive would Zimmerman the Pope? I know they would.

[RummyChick]

Not sure what your point is but it is pretty apparent that the Cardinal made gay advances.

I might be wrong to call him a child molester....and I really should not do that until I know the AGES of those he molested and threatened.

[stanne]

A kind post

Logic and reason is all we ask

I will take your advice

[Mrs. Don-o]

I love those Scriptures, metmom. We should all take them to heart.

Keep in mind, though, that Pope Francis said he woulkd not judge a person for his sexual orientation. Orientation is a pattern of sexual attraction: it is not the same as conduct.

A sin must comprise "my thoughts and my words, what I have done and what I have failed to do." "Thoughts" in this case means "voluntary thoughts": thoguhts which we entertain or even pursue, such as lustful fantasies and the like.

Thoughts which are outside of voluntary control (e.g. dreams, spontaneous transient notions, etc.) are not sins. They can be temptations, in which case they should be resisted.

Scripture says Our Lord was tempted in every way that we are, but without sin.