Posted on 12/10/2019 1:48:45 PM PST by ebb tide
BERLIN, December 9, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) ― The Commission for Marriage and Family of the German Bishops Conference has come to a consensus that homosexuality is a normal form of sexual predisposition.
Two German prelates have also claimed that Amoris Laetitia teaches that sexual relationships formed after a divorce are neither gravely sinful nor a bar to the reception of Holy Communion.
On December 5, the German Bishops Conference published a press release detailing the results of an expert consultation on the topic The sexuality of man: how to discuss it scientifically-theologically, and how to assess it ecclesiastically?
The consultation, which included a panel of bishops, sexologists, moral theologians, dogmatic theologians, and canon lawyers, took place in Berlin and concluded on December 4. The timing of the event coincided with the German bishops departure along their own synodal path.
According to the press release, the experts agreed that human sexuality encompasses a dimension of lust, of procreation, and of relationships.
They also agreed that homosexuality is as normal as heterosexuality and that neither sexual attraction should be changed.
There was also agreement that the sexual preference of man expresses itself in puberty and assumes a hetero- or homosexual orientation. Both belong to the normal forms of sexual predisposition, which cannot or should be be changed with the help of a specific socialization, the press release stated.
The communiqué offered this status of normality as the reason why any form of discrimination of those persons with a homosexual orientation has to be rejected, a teaching it says has been demanded for quite some time by the teaching office of the Church and was explicitly stressed by Pope Francis in Amoris Laetitia.
Agreement had its limits, however. There was no consensus on whether the magisteral ban on practiced homosexuality is still up to date. The experts also disagreed on whether or not both married and unmarried people should be allowed to use artificial contraceptives.
The German bishops press release mentioned in particular Archbishop Heiner Koch of Berlin, the head of the Commission for the Family, and Bishop Franz-Joseph Bode of Osnabrück. Both had been present at the Synod on the Family in Rome in 2015. According to the statement, both men stressed the importance of a solid discussion based on human sciences and theology and stressed the developments that already can be found in Amoris Laetitia.
As their example of a development in Amoris Laetitia, the German bishops state that the document says a sexual relationship after a divorce and remarriage is no longer generally assessed as being a grave sin, and, subsequently, a general exclusion from the reception of the Eucharist is not foreseen.
The other German prelates in the panel included Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt of Görlitz, Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz, and several auxiliary bishops from the Commision for the Family.
The 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church states clearly that homosexual acts are instrinsically disordered and contrary to the natural law (CCC 2357).
They close the sexual act to the gift of life, it continues. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.
Under no circumstances can they be approved.
However, the Catechesis does indeed stress that the suffering of people with same-sex attraction should not be increased by unkind treatment:
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill Gods will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lords Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition (CCC 2358)
The Catechism also stresses that homosexual persons are called to chastity and can approach Christian perfection through self-mastery, friendship, prayer, and sacramental grace (CCC 2359).
However, there is widespread rebellion in the Catholic Church in Germany against the perennial doctrine of the Church on sexual matters, including among members of the German Bishops Conference. The German Bishops Conferences insistence on holding its own synod, or synodal path, without Vatican permission, has more traditional German Catholics worried.
Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, a president emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, has warned that proceeding down this path one that questions the Church's teachings on the celibate, male priesthood; homosexuality; and marriage could lead to a national church without nearly any ties to Rome. The dubia cardinal stated that this would be certainly be the surest path into the final decline of the German Church.
I’m sure this will play well with their muslim overlords.
Timothy, my son, we know that the law is good, if any one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, immoral persons, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
Abortion was a step to the decline, when murder was allowed and sanctioned by the Church, Divorce is another, and adultery is another. Now homosexuality. The question is, why bother with Church at all? since you disagree with the Old and New Testament, why even use the bible at all? It doesn’t make any sense
That’s why the mainline protestant groups are basically dead in America.
I like that!
One of the spouses might argue with this. Someone is hurt by someone.
Bishops don't even get married in the first place, so how would they know?
The church is the church no more. It is over and done for.
“”teaches that sexual relationships formed after a divorce are neither gravely sinful nor a bar to the reception of Holy Communion.””
At least that’s in accordance with the definition of adultery in the Ten Commandments but the other - tell me where I’ll find that!
Another Darwin Award Winner!
Sleeping around on your first an only, sacramental spouse is adultery.
“Second marriages”, without a declaration of anullment of the first marriage are not marriages, they a license to sin.
When you read through Genesis, one of the striking issues is how absolutely seriously adultery was taken. Before the written Word was available, before the 10 Commandments were engraved, it was apparently quite well known that adultery is a grave sin.
In Genesis 20, when Abraham tried to pass Sarah off as his sister Abimelech took her into his harem (at age 90!). The Lord prevented the commission of adultery. Abimelech was horrified that he might have committed adultery, condemning his entire nation, and told Abraham so. Contrast today, where adultery is the most meh of sins.
The whole Church is collapsing faster than the American Republic.
They may well be getting a majority of moral midgets to sign on at some point, but it is not yet a done deal.
IT may well precipitate schism *among* them, as well as schism between them and Rome.
I can't even think my own goose of a Bishop could think himself to be "in communion with" these arrogant apostates,who propose "normalizing" divorce/remarriage basically on the same morally degraded terms as the Protestant churches in Germany (and here.)
I would venture to say those moral midgets include one Jorge Bergoglio, who has not raised his voice to stop this train wreck.
Before he became Pope Benedict, Ratzinger wrote a book in which he projected that the Church would shrink drastically in the future, as unfit shepherds were removed — but that the remnant would be much more faithful.
Amen!
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
(Matthew 7:15)
On that dismal road to hell.
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