Posted on 05/20/2002 3:06:17 AM PDT by kattracks
Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve," the Roman Catholic bishop of Australia's largest city told his congregation Sunday morning, minutes after refusing to give communion to homosexual and lesbian activists.
"Homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law, they close the sexual act to the gift of life," Archbishop George Pell told Catholics gathered for Pentecost Sunday Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.
In an orchestrated move, 20 members of a group campaigning for the church to give full recognition to homosexual Catholics had earlier gone forward for communion, while another 12 did the same St. Patrick's Cathedral in another major city, Melbourne.
Each member of the Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM) wore a rainbow-colored sash over their clothing. In both churches they were denied communion, although in Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart did offer the sash-wearers a blessing.
Although the bids failed, a spokesman for the group said Monday they were heartened to hear that similar attempts made by RSM members in several cities in the U.S. Sunday had met with success.
In New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Rochester, spokesman Michael Kelly said, homosexual and lesbian members wearing the sashes said they had received communion. RSM was formed in Australia, but now has chapters in a handful of U.S. cities, too.
Kelly, a former Franciscan seminarian, attributed the discrepancy to "confusion" in the church hierarchy about how to handle the issue of homosexuals.
Because some priests had knowingly given communion to homosexuals, while others had refused to, the organization was now considering "an appeal to Rome."
"Refusal to give communion is the second most serious sanction in church life, after excommunication. So it's a very rare and very important sanction that's been imposed on us."
Kelly, who was part of the Sydney group in Sunday's protest, said the group had donned their sashes during the introductory hymn, as a symbol of their desire to "embrace our sexuality as a sacred gift."
They then participated in the service as usual, but when they had approached the altar for communion, Pell had told them, "I can't help you."
The bishop had not offered them a blessing either. If he had done so, it would have been seen as a "token gesture," Kelly said, but nonetheless one that would have said to the group: "We don't completely reject you."
They then returned to their pews, where they stood "in silent protest" while other communicants returned to their places and knelt, as is traditional.
A short while later, Pell read out a prepared statement, he said.
In the statement, a copy of which was provided by the Archdiocese of Sydney Monday, Pell said he deeply regretted that people professing the Catholic faith would mount "an ideological demonstration" during Mass, and particularly at communion time.
Any Catholic who publicly defined himself as "supporting or practicing activities contrary to church teaching in a serious matter is not entitled to receive Holy Communion."
The same would apply to a married person living in adultery, he added.
Pell said church teaching on sexuality was "clear and unequivocal, and derives from natural moral law, which we believe is unchanging ... God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, and important consequences follow from this."
Kelly said Monday he found the comment "childish" and "unhelpful," not something worthy of a major church leader.
He charged that the current child-sex abuse scandal in the church in the U.S. and elsewhere was the result of the church hierarchy's refusal to bring matters of sexuality out into the open.
The RSM would continue to campaign to be allowed to participate fully and openly in the life of the church, Kelly said. Homosexuals had been involved in the church for centuries, he added, but their participation had taken place under a "code of silence and invisibility."
Although Kelly said church leaders had ignored nine written appeals for dialogue over the past five years, Pell in his statement said he would "continue to dialogue privately and publicly with those who think differently" about church teaching on marriage and family.
He also said he would pray for the protestors.
"Although human weakness is universal and God's mercy infinite, the path to happiness and heaven for a Catholic does not lie in seeking to re-interpret what is right and wrong," the bishop said.
"Rather, one should commit oneself, in good faith, to the church and its teachings and work towards following these teachings as closely as possible."
E-mail a news tip to Patrick Goodenough.
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The Church's leadership is chock-a-block full of cowards.
According to the Pope's last word on the subject, you'd think a Catholic would.
Hypocrisy at it's finest.The Church has active homosexuals and child abusers not only taking communion but "consecrating "the common wafer....and those Bishops know it..
The perverts can consecrate it but unless they are ordained they can not take it...unbelievable
They need to deal honestly with the issue within the ranks of priests before they can honestly make a public statement like above...IMHO
Nowadays that seems to be the case with darn near all main stream religions.
Since the top of the Church's org. chart is G-d, I don't think there is any confusion in the hierarchy. There may be confusion in the ranks, but it would be a good idea if the ranks would get it straight, as the CEO has a habit of being very harsh with those who are supposed to know better.
I'm not a Catholic theologan, but I would be very, very, very careful before giving any holy sacrament to anyone who had openly rejected a relationship with G-d. I don't think G-d would punish the petitioner, but the giver of the sacrament might want to be standing near a lightning rod.
Shalom.
To expect the priesthood to be free of sinners before any given priest can speak the Truth on morals is to wait for the impossible.
The Truth is being spoken, and you have nothing but criticism.
SD
You're making a fallacy of composition. Archbishop Pell is responsible for his own diocese, not anyone else's. Do you have the slightest shred of evidence that he knowingly tolerates active homosexuals or child molesters among his priests? Of course you don't. So what you're doing is impugning a man for the sins of others. Where I come, that's a sin all by itself.
John 8:7.
Let me know if you would like off of this ping list. God bless.
Hypocrisy at it's finest.The Church has active homosexuals and child abusers not only taking communion but "consecrating "the common wafer....and those Bishops know it..Coming from you this is quite a mouthful. You have been one of the biggest hypocrites on this site recently. When someone you disagree with makes a personal attack you are quick to condemn them, but when its one of your friends, you can’t bring yourself to say a word, no matter how nasty it is. Once again:The perverts can consecrate it but unless they are ordained they can not take it...unbelievable
They need to deal honestly with the issue within the ranks of priests before they can honestly make a public statement like above...IMHO
To: RnMomof7
You came out of no where with words intended to be hurtful and judgmental .I say look at the plank in your eye Pastor..The funny thing here is that you have absolutely no problem, and no hesitation, in judging Xzins’ words. Yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to so much as mutter a mute criticism of the_doc’s diatribe. Your justifications were were hypocritical throughout the course of that discussion.You are proving it yet again. You are willing to judge anyone you disagree with, but if someone in your group acts badly, you do not have the ability to condemn it. Morality does not change depending on who is doing the name calling.
patent +AMDG
472 posted on 5/17/02 9:48 AM Central by patent
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He charged that the current child-sex abuse scandal in the church in the U.S. and elsewhere was the result of the church hierarchy's refusal to bring matters of sexuality out into the open.
The RSM would continue to campaign to be allowed to participate fully and openly in the life of the church, Kelly said. Homosexuals had been involved in the church for centuries, he added, but their participation had taken place under a "code of silence and invisibility."
This is funny, pathetic and tragic.
There is nothing sacred about their "DEPRAVED SEX ACTS". Their behavior is contrary to the natural law. If you refuse to accept Roman Catholic moral theology then go to the Episcopal church. They are embracing all of you. And take all our liberal priests and bishops with you.
Its really time to start excommunicating! This is way out of hand!
Are you a priest?
If so, father, I wouldn't give them communion until I heard their confession. Unrepentant sin is unforgivable until repented. I agree with AmericaUnited in post #3.
I'm deeply saddened that some churches in America allowed the homosexuals to receive communion. It didn't happen in my church, but we have a fairly conservative parish. Pentecost was absolutely incredible. I felt magnificent when I left Church yesterday, and I felt like I had been away for weeks, rather than just one week. It was truly a blessed Mass, and I hope others had a similar experience.
God bless.
However, homosexuals tend to be far more promisicuous as a group and tend to have far more sexual partners than heterosexuals outside of marriage, and therefore it seems like the number is far higher because each of the homosexual priests claimed a greater number of victims.
May God purify His church and lead us to repent. God bless.
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