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.

[Mrs. Don-o]

“Gay”? Tell me what he said in Spanish, which is what he was speaking at the time. That would be a better basis for continued discussion.

[DrewsMum]

So was he referring to gays in general or gay priests? Seems that he was answering a question about gay priests...? No?

[Elsie]

So, we don’t judge Sodomites, the Word of God has already judged them.

There ya go!

[metmom]

But I see what’s going on here.

It doesn’t mean what it says, it means what Catholics say it means.

Gotcha......

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you for your sanity. Your remarks are knowledgeable, reasonable...

Hey! Is that allowed on FR?

[GOP_Party_Animal]

The Catholic church is not becoming more and more PRO gay. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news - I know you Catholic-haters on FR love a good story that you can misconstrue.

This pope, like those before him maintain what the Church always has: Homosexual acts are morally wrong. From Catholic Online, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):

"Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.'" CCC § 2357. They are, in addition, "contrary to the natural law," and therefore apparently evil even to unaided reason. Id.

Judge (condemn) gay people? No, not even the Pope can do that. Judge their actions morally wrong? Yes! Francis has and does do that. It's an important distinction, one you should consider before making statements such as "The Catholic church is becoming more and more PRO gay".

[Mrs. Don-o]

"It’s the Catholic way. They promulgate a doctrine, but it is so convoluted that no one knows what the heck it means. So they kill a forest worth of trees trying to explain what it is they mean. By the time it is done they forgot what it was they were talking about in the first place."

Gamecock, this perplexes me. I don't have any problems with, e.g. the Catechism, which I find a model of clarity. And I daresay your reading comprehension is not inferior to my own.

[Elsie]

I understand that having desires, but not acting on them is one thing, but the Bible CLEARLY condemns the effeminate.

And even Jimma CArter had 'lust in his heart' and we ALL know what Jesus said about THat!

[henkster]

Yes, He also said we should kill adulterers. Stoning, I believe, became the preferred method.

I’ll follow what Jesus said. He didn’t come to remove the Law, but to perfect it.

[Elsie]

True, that some people struggle with that particular attraction as sin, however, according to Romans 1, it does indicate a depravity of human nature that goes beyond the ordinary.

???

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken hold of you but such as is common to man...

[stanne]

show me the sentence and we can discuss otherwise it’s a lot of disinformation

the Catholic Church does not teach that the only way to salvation is through it.

Evangelical Protestantism does, and it ascribes that to the Catholic Church but it is not correct.

That’s why you are posting long articles from the Catechism which no one will read.

Show the sentence.

[tomkat]

If FR had a gymnastics sidebar, this would be its flagship thread .. lol

[Elsie]

After all, a Pope's opinions are not infallible --- not even his theological opinions.

Then he might as well be King of England!

[Elsie]

The statement that we should not judge sinners is part of Christian teaching.

Which part?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Longbow: When he was a cardinal, Jorge Bergoglio was the major Jesuit opponent of "Liberation Theology" in Latin America, probably in the world.

http://tinyurl.com/bergoglio-liberation-theology

That should make a difference, shouldn't it?

[stanne]

I wouldn’t dream of ever having a conversation nor exhibiting any further courtesy to Rummy Chick.

My history and hers will show that she does not deserve it nor appreciate it

[xzins]

If this is an accurate report, then it is the wrong message to send:

The Apostle Paul says to Christians:

1 Corinthians 6:3 RSV Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life!

[Elsie]

Stay on topic.

What?

[Elsie]

Look!

Over THERE!

[GOPJ]

Is the Pope Francis saying it’s OK for priests to have sex with men but not with women?