Posted on 04/25/2013 2:19:05 PM PDT by NYer
Retired Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to become a U.S. bishop in the Episcopal Church, has written an nasty piece of opinion attacking a Catholic Archbishop as well as the Catholic Church in its entirety for defending marriage.
Robinson, writing for The On Faith blog at The Washington Post, attacked Abp. Allen Vigneron for having said Catholics who support gay unions or marriage should not receive communion. And not only does he say that the Church is wrong on gay marriage, he says the Church has "lost its way" and has no right to even discuss the issue. I'll give you one guess why. For those playing along at home, the answer is easy. It's page 1 of the anti-Catholic playbook: "Anytime the Church says something you don't like you should always YELL and SCREAM about....THE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL!!!"
Robinson wrote:
I believe that using Communion as such a manipulative tool surely profanes the sacrament. Perhaps these Catholic leaders should revisit their church’s theology of the Eucharist. Reception of the body and blood of Christ at Communion is God’s gift to God’s people, not a reward for right behavior. We receive Communion not because we are worthy of it, but because God’s offers us the body and blood of Christ despite our unworthiness.Robinson is not understanding or he's pretending to misunderstand the facts here. The fact is that we are all sinners is true. That doesn't make sin acceptable. And it certainly doesn't make sin non-existent.
While some are seeking to withhold Communion from pro-choice and pro-marriage-equality Catholics, I have heard no call to withhold Communion from priests and bishops who have engaged in horrific sexual abuse against vulnerable children, nor their enablers. Bernard Cardinal Law, whose administration actively facilitated the moving around of known pedophile priests to other unsuspecting parishes, has not been denied Communion, but instead been rewarded with a prestigious church in Rome.
It seems that the church hierarchy is sending the following message: two gay men or lesbians (not to mention their supporters) who want to vow a lifetime of commitment, monogamy and love should be denied Communion, but those who exploit vulnerable children (and those who facilitate their abuse) for their own sexual gratification are still welcome. Those who make the excruciating and gut-wrenching decision to have an abortion (not to mention those who understand why this might be a moral choice) are barred from receiving Communion, but those prelates who live a lavish lifestyle far from the real-life, harsh circumstances some women face that might make such an abortion morally permissible are accepted at the Communion rail.
American Catholics have a long and honorable history of discerning their own consciences in matters of human life and dignity. For instance, 98 percent of Catholic women have gone against church law and used birth control. Indeed, individual conscience is a core value in Catholic teaching. It seems that Catholic laity are refusing to be treated like morally ignorant children who cannot think for themselves. At a very minimum, Catholic laity (and many of their local clergy) know that these issues should be discussed in an open and faithful way. They also know that people of faith will disagree on some of the ramifications of trying to live out the Gospel.
Mr Robinson I think that your mocking of God will end up showing that the wrong path was yours.
This post to the original column says it all:
“Wow, it takes a lot of chutzpah for an Episcopalian bishop to slam a Catholic Arch-Bishop. Why is that? Real simple: people are fleeing the Episcopalian Church in droves because of non-biblical actions, such as making a gay man who is not celibate into an archbishop. This so-called church has no standing to critique what was once her mother Church. Long ago, Anglicans decided to leave (making King Henry VIII be the first person to start a new religion on the basis of wanting to divorce his wife); they gave up their chance to critique Roman Catholicism when they chose to leave her. What a bogus and asinine column. It truly doesnb’t even deserve these few words of comment. Pope Leo XIII was right when he declared the priesthood in the Anglican Church, and thus the episcopacy, as “aboslutely null and utterly void.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Rationalization is certain to lead to sin if we have not formed a strong conscience. Notice how he focuses on homosexuality and abortion. Focusing on God, prayer, the sacraments, the study of God’s commandments, and living by the teachings of the Church are the spiritual exercises essential to form a good conscience and how we respond to God’s call to holiness. His words are poison.
Yep ! The greatest contribution to American Cathloicism in the 20th century was the ordination of Episcopal gay “priests”.
An excellent observation. Sadly, his words also reflect the secularism of contemporary society which is a cesspool of poison. I never thought I would see this day.
Oh, shut the hell up!
You are a drunk, “gay” who has lost his way and corrupted a church....
Your “reward” will be in heaven....
Again they forget that whole “eating and drinking judgement upon yourself” part that Paul wrote in Corinthians. No, unrepentant sin disqualifies you from taking part in communion.
Who cares what this fudge packer has to say.
His predjudiced opinion is based on the fact that he is a rump ranger who puts his penis in feces.
Stop being polite and thinking these people are anything more or less than they are.
Perverts do not tell me how to Judge my faith.
Not -- I am the custom.
calumny, lying demon
As Oscar Wilde once put it: “The Catholic Church is for saints and sinners. For respectable folks, Anglicanism will do.”
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