Gay Catholics Push for Church Weddings

Aletelia ^ | July 29, 2015 | JOHN BURGER

[NYer]

When the Supreme Court ruling came down in late June, extending the right to marriage to members of the same sex in all 50 states, some observers felt that the Catholic Church was fairly immune to any requirements that it would have to allow same-sex weddings before her altars.

Now, though, calls for the Church to allow such nuptials are bubbling up. How far they will get is another question.

The issue was raised Tuesday by a report in the New York Times that featured “gay and transgender Catholics” who are making noises with the approaching visit to these shores of Pope Francis. And the noises are not exactly joyful.

“While some American conservatives are eager to see Pope Francis make use of his popularity on this trip to advance the fight against abortion and same-sex marriage, gay Catholics want him to acknowledge their rejection by the Church, and to welcome them as full members with equal access to sacraments like baptism and marriage,” the report said.

The article’s lede focused on an incident in which a young transgendered Catholic was put off by another member of the congregation who, perhaps indiscreetly, suggested that the person not go up to receive Communion.

While such an incident cannot be taken as emblematic of an entire Church’s collective treatment of “sexual minorities,” as some like to call homosexuals and persons who believe they were born with a body of the wrong sex, the Times found several people who believe otherwise. In fact, the paper said, “a large group of gay and transgender Catholics...are seeking a meeting with the Pope during his first visit to the United States, in September, pushing him to take a stand on the issues of sexuality and gender that are increasingly dividing Catholics and causing rancor in the Church.”

Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, said that many homosexual Catholics face constant torture in the Church, in situations ranging from denial for a child’s baptism or hearing something offensive in a homily. She wants to meet with Pope Francis when he comes, to share such “stories of pain and alienation,” which “do real harm to people.”

“It needs to end,” she said.

A July 5 press release issued by Dignity, which has been denied Catholic status by the Church because it advances viewpoints contrary to doctrine, said that members meeting for the organization’s national convention voted to begin advocating for “equal access to all of the sacraments of the Catholic Church for LGBT people and their families.”

“We can’t be fully equal if we are barred from any of our Church’s sacraments,” said Duddy-Burke. “Right now, we are officially banned from marriage and ordination, and often denied other sacraments, as well."

Earlier this month, the Episcopal Church in the United States voted to allow sacramental wedding ceremonies of same-sex couples. 

Dignity’s convention took place in the bright afterglow of the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which said any remaining state laws banning same-sex “marriage” are unconstitutional. At the same time, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed support for a congressional bill that would help protect the Church and other religious institutions under the new “law of the land.” The First Amendment Defense Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT, and Rep. Raul Labrador, R-ID, would prohibit the federal government from discriminating against individuals and organizations based upon their religious beliefs or moral convictions that marriage is the union of one man and one woman or that sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage. For such individuals and organizations, the Act provides broad protections, including in the areas of federal contracts, grants, employment, and tax-exempt status.

The push for a meeting of same-sex-attracted Catholics with Pope Francis runs contrary to one of the main reasons for the Pontiff’s first American visit. The last event on his five-day schedule will be in Philadelphia: the closing Mass for the World Meeting of Families, a triennial event meant to strengthen the natural family founded on the marriage of a man and woman. The Church and many Catholics have been supporting such initiatives as a way to counter the growing acceptance of “alternative” relationships and families.

That’s not stopping some from pushing a different agenda, of course. The Times reports that about 14 families with gay or transgender members have registered to attend the World Meeting of Families. Deb Word, president of Fortunate Families, a support group for Catholic parents seeking full inclusion of their gay children in the church, said her group applied to have a table in the exhibit hall, but was rejected.
 

“We wanted to go and share resources on how you can safeguard your child’s long-term health by using loving acceptance in your home. It doesn’t sound like a scary message, does it?” said Ms. Word…. In Philadelphia, she will be wearing a small rainbow ribbon pin and carrying a bag of literature for Catholics she meets who express interest.

As the Times pointed out, though the Pope’s words during an in-flight interview, “Who am I to judge?” have been interpreted to mean that he is open to a new understanding of homosexuality in the Church, he has perhaps more often spoken out strongly in support of orthodoxy. On a visit to the Philippines in January, Pope Francis said that “the family is threatened by growing efforts” to “redefine the very institution of marriage,” the Times noted. He also criticized wealthy Western countries for imposing their ideas about gender on developing countries, calling it “ideological colonization.”

A month later, he was quoted in a book saying that “gender theory,” which holds that gender is a social construct, is one of the great modern dangers to humanity, like nuclear weapons.
 

[Mrs. Don-o]

Good idea! Let's follow the Bile here:

Matthew 13:24-30

He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds
all through the wheat,
and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied,
‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds
and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

[kosciusko51]

I wasn’t saying that the CC would. What I said is if the CC did, it will make things worse for other Christians.

Grace and Peace,
K51

[Ray76]

Damn haters. Why don’t homos get married elsewhere? Form their own homo church. Form their own homo scouts. And so forth. Why must they always find people/institutions which don’t agree with them and then attack?

[Mrs. Don-o]

Well-founded? John Jay study

[Norm Lenhart]

So you WANT evil in the christian faith working evil? Or do I read your meaning wrong?

[piusv]

Because they demand that we accept them.

[caww]

Perhaps Africa and South America are the last frontier so to speak....in the USA however there so many false religions and outright cults that the true believers have their hands full offsetting those....at least I’ve found that the case.....or they have no faith at all nor care to have.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I totally agree.

[Still Thinking]

I understood Defiant’s post to mean you could not be sexually attracted to people of your own gender and still be a legitimate Catholic, not about what people do or do not need to proclaim in public. If I understood his post correctly, then I believe him to be incorrectly interpreting Catholic doctrine (though as noted, I’m not a Catholic).

[piusv]

I understand.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"So you WANT evil in the christian faith working evil? Or do I read your meaning wrong?"

You got that message from Matthew 13:24-30?

I didn't make propose this parable. Jesus did. What do you think HE meant by it.

[Norm Lenhart]

Anything he meant by it had nothing to do with allowing evil to flourish I am certain of that.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"There is no such thing as a gay Catholic."

I reckon it depends on what you mean by "Gay," and what you mean by "Catholic".

I certainly know people n the Catholic Church who would tell you they are gay. The particular ones I am thinking about, in my parish, are not "coupled" and as far as I know, follow the faith and morals of the Church and are chaste.

[Defiant]

You misunderstood. Calling oneself “gay” betrays an acceptance of beliefs that are incompatible with Christianity. You are a man or a woman. Attractions you develop during your life do not make you something else. Try the phrase “bestial Catholic” and see if that works, too.

[Mrs. Don-o]

The Sacrament they need most, right now, is Reconciliation (also known as Confession.) Once you repent and turn away from your sins, you’re good to go as far as the other Sacraments. Including Matrimony: if they can find somebody of the opposite sex to marry.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Or a “carnivorous vegan” demanding pork BBQ.

[Gamecock]

Agree 100%

[Mrs. Don-o]

First Corinthians is such a good Epistle! What came to mind for me was this:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

"Do you not know that the unjust
will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers
nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites
nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards
nor slanderers nor robbers
will inherit the kingdom of God.

That is what some of you used to be;
but now you have had yourselves washed,
you were sanctified,
you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God."

[usconservative]

With all due respect, and as a Protestant, I disagree. They are going after the one of the most visible expressions of Christianity, and they will come after the rest of us, especially if the Catholic Church capitulates to these demands.

I had always thought the gaystapo would find a small, community / non-denominational church without the means to defend itself financially from lawsuits and pursue that angle to force churches to marry gay's.

The fact that they're going right after the Catholic church is somewhat surprising to me, given the Catholic church's financial ability to defend itself here.

Ultimately which ever approach the gaystapo used, the end game has always to bring down Christianity in America and force the gaystapo's will upon all Churches thereby removing all moral objections to their sinful behavior (at least in their minds.)

My only question at this point is how long will it be until the Catholic church caves? Given the current Pope, I think that's a fair question.

[ConservingFreedom]

Gay Catholics Push

Yuck.