I'm Starting to Like This Pope

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Economic Magisterium/Integral Ecology/Seamless Garment/Fratelli Tutti
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 65 / pg 121 / pg 121 / pg 122 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 130 / pg 130 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD: pg 119 / pg 119 / pg 119 / pg 119 / pg 150 / pg 150 / pg 151 / pg 151 / pg 151 / pg 151
"The Statement on Social Justice": pg 6
"Pro-life Bills/Laws": pg 15
"The Climate Change Thread": pg 14 / pg 14 / pg 15
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism": pg 9
"Economics": pg 6 / pg 6
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10


Iraqi official says top Shi’a cleric won’t sign fraternity doc with pope [In-Depth]

FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020 photo, a poster of Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, right, and Arabic that reads, "the love of the country bonds us together," is seen in Najaf, Iraq. (Credit: Hadi Mizban/AP)

ROME — Despite widespread speculation that Pope Francis and top Shi’a cleric Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani will sign a document on human fraternity during their meeting in Iraq next month, an Iraqi state official has said the rumors are false.

According to the Iraqi Kurdish news site Rudaw, in comments made during a media roundtable, Senior Undersecretary of Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nizar Al-Khair Allah called the pope’s scheduled visit with Al-Sistani “historic.”

A visit like this “has not been witnessed in the history of the Hawza,” he said, referring to a prestigious seminary for Shi’a clerics, “but it won’t include any signings or agreements.”

Pope Francis is set to meet Al-Sistani March 6 as part of his 4-day visit to Iraq, during which he is expected to make stops in Baghdad, Erbil, Qaraqosh, Mosul, the Plain of Ur, and Najaf, where Al-Sistani lives.

For some weeks it has been rumored that during his private meeting with Al-Sistani, the two would sign the Document on Human Fraternity, originally signed by Pope Francis and the Gran Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, during the pope’s visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019.

However, Khair Allah’s statement that there will be no agreements made or document signed appears to debunk that rumor. Al-Sistani himself, who is 90, does not usually leave Najaf and rarely receives visitors, making his conversation with the pope even more significant.

In his remarks to state media, Khair Allah also said the pope would be provided local security, saying, “The Vatican would like the Pope to come via an Iraqi plane with the provision of Iraqi protection.”

Although the trip is less than a month away, some have speculated whether the visit will actually take place, with security being one of the top concerns in addition to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[…]

In an interview with Vatican News, Bishop Basel Yaldo, an auxiliary bishop in Baghdad and general coordinator of the papal trip, said Iraqis are awaiting the pope “with all our hearts.”

“For decades, we have been waiting for a pope. For us, it will be a truly historic event,” he said, adding that after decades of war and violent conflict, the people want peace, “and we are sure that Pope Francis’s visit will bring hope to all Iraqis, not just Christians.”

Francis’s visit comes at a time when many experts and observers fear that it is only a matter of time before Christianity disappears from the Middle East entirely.

In Iraq alone, hundreds of thousands have left in recent years as a direct result of war, discrimination, violent persecution, and poverty. As of 2003, there were roughly 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, while today that figure is closer to just 300,000.

In his comments, Yaldo said that when the pope visits the villages burned and pillaged during the ISIS insurgency on the Nineveh Plain, he will bring the solidarity of the entire Church with him, and a prayer for unity.

All papal events, he said, will show that the pope is coming “for all the people of Iraq, without any distinction.”

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Viganò/QAnon/Deep State/Deep Church
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 63 / pg 64 / pg 65 / pg 65 / pg 66 / pg 66 / pg 73 / pg 84 / pg 120 / pg 123 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"Mary Alone": pg 18 / pg 20 /pg 20
"President Trump is a problem...": pg 38
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD": pg 152 / pg 152 / pg 152
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism": pg 4 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg6 / pg 6 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Any QAnoners Here?": pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5

► Show Spoiler

Tuttleview:

Christopher White @cwwhite212 | Twitter

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Viganò/QAnon/Deep State/Deep Church
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 63 / pg 64 / pg 65 / pg 65 / pg 66 / pg 66 / pg 73 / pg 84 / pg 120 / pg 123 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 133

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"Mary Alone": pg 18 / pg 20 /pg 20
"President Trump is a problem...": pg 38
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD": pg 152 / pg 152 / pg 152
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism": pg 4 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg6 / pg 6 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Any QAnoners Here?": pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5

► Show Spoiler

Tuttleview:

Jeremy Zipple @jzipple | Twitter

[tuttle]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Viganò/QAnon/Deep State/Deep Church
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 63 / pg 64 / pg 65 / pg 65 / pg 66 / pg 66 / pg 73 / pg 84 / pg 120 / pg 123 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 133

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"Mary Alone": pg 18 / pg 20 /pg 20
"President Trump is a problem...": pg 38
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD": pg 152 / pg 152 / pg 152
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism": pg 4 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg6 / pg 6 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Any QAnoners Here?": pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5

► Show Spoiler

Tuttleview:

Jeremy Zipple @jzipple | Twitter

So I checked out the Not The Bee article, which was riffing on this Reuters article and, while they aren't subtle, they are clearly attacking the 'inter-faith / inter-religious prayer service".

Culturally, I think this is awesome, and the archaeology side of things is what the Reuters article is leaning on. I do think it is important for Christians to preserve these sites, both for historical and religious reasons, and to that end, go Pope go!

But, really, the inter-faith prayer service is what they are mocking. And in spite of that twitter-griper lamenting US conservative Christians not caring about persecution, it would seem the Pope organizing a inter-faith prayer service isn't what a Shepherd does when he seeks to comfort his sheep. "I know you've been persecuted and terrorized by these wolves so I come to organize a prayer service for sheep and wolves together."

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Viganò/QAnon/Deep State/Deep Church
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 63 / pg 64 / pg 65 / pg 65 / pg 66 / pg 66 / pg 73 / pg 84 / pg 120 / pg 123 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 133 / pg 133

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"Mary Alone": pg 18 / pg 20 /pg 20
"President Trump is a problem...": pg 38
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD": pg 152 / pg 152 / pg 152
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Any QAnoners Here?": pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism":pg 4 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg6 / pg 6 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 9

► Show Spoiler

Tuttleview:

David Gibson @GibsonWrites | Twitter


--> --> Benedict discuses resignation, Iraq and Biden in new interview

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Viganò/QAnon/Deep State/Deep Church
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 63 / pg 64 / pg 65 / pg 65 / pg 66 / pg 66 / pg 73 / pg 84 / pg 120 / pg 123 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 133 / pg 133 / pg 133

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"Mary Alone": pg 18 / pg 20 /pg 20
"President Trump is a problem...": pg 38
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD": pg 152 / pg 152 / pg 152
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Any QAnoners Here?": pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism":pg 4 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg6 / pg 6 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 9

► Show Spoiler

Tuttleview:

Paul_R_Elie @Paul_R_Elie | Twitter


--> --> In Pope Francis, Biden Has A Potential Ally — Who Shares The Same Catholic Detractors [In-Depth]

[durangopipe]

Pope Francis in Iraq



In Iraq.
How can anyone not like this?

[EvilGoose55]

Pope Francis in Iraq



In Iraq.
How can anyone not like this?

Looks pretty Catholic to me. Wosbald probably <hates> it.

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Economic Magisterium/Integral Ecology/Seamless Garment/Fratelli Tutti
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 65 / pg 121 / pg 121 / pg 122 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 130 / pg 130 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 133

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD: pg 119 / pg 119 / pg 119 / pg 119 / pg 150 / pg 150 / pg 151 / pg 151 / pg 151 / pg 151
"The Statement on Social Justice": pg 6
"Pro-life Bills/Laws": pg 15
"The Climate Change Thread": pg 14 / pg 14 / pg 15
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism": pg 9
"Economics": pg 6 / pg 6
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10


Pope says he’s not afraid of being called ‘heretic’ for outreach to Islam [In-Depth]

Pope Francis, font right, bids farewell upon concluding his visit to Iraq at Baghdad airport, Iraq, Monday, March 8, 2021. Pope Francis left Baghdad on Monday after three days of the historic whirlwind tour of Iraq that sought to bring hope to the country's marginalized Christian minority with a message of coexistence, forgiveness and peace. (Credit: AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — In his latest in-flight news conference, Pope Francis said Monday he’s not afraid to be called a ‘heretic’ for engaging in dialogue with Muslims; that he felt “imprisoned” during Covid-19 lockdowns; he was “shocked” by the destruction he witnessed in the Iraqi city of Mosul Sunday; and, on international Women’s Day, expressed regret over the exploitation of women, including the practice of genital mutilation.

Women

[…]

Fraternity and heresy

Human fraternity, the term often used by Francis to describe the aim of interreligious dialogue, is important because men and women are all siblings, the pope said, adding, “We need to move forward with other religions too.”

Francis defined his Saturday meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest-ranking Shiite leader of Iraq, as a “second step” in this path towards fraternity after signing a joint declaration with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar, a leading point of reference in Sunni Islam, in 2019.

Without prompting, the pontiff acknowledged that when it comes to interreligious dialogue and fostering human fraternity, he takes “risks” because this is “necessary.”

“You know there are some critics who say the pope is not courageous but unconscious, that he’s taking steps against Catholic doctrine, that he’s one step from heresy,” Francis said. “These are risks, but these decisions are taken always in prayer, in dialogue, asking for advice.”

“These choices are not capricious, and it’s the path set forth by the Second Vatican Council,” he said.

He defined his encounter with al-Sistani not as a message to Iran, which officially does not recognize the authority of the Grand Ayatollah, but to the world, and acknowledged that he had felt “the duty to do this pilgrimage of faith and penitence, to encounter a wise man, a man of God. Simply by listening to him one can perceive this.”

“He’s a person who has wisdom and prudence,” the pope said about the ayatollah. “He told me that for the past ten years, he hasn’t welcomed visitors who had political or cultural motives, only religious.”

He also said that al-Sistani had been “very respectful,” highlighting that the Muslim leader had stood up twice to greet him, when he never stands up to great others. “He’s a humble and wise man, and it was good for my soul to encounter him. He’s a light.”

Catholics, he said, also have these wise men, they are everywhere, often as the “saints next door.”

Iraq

[…]

Francis said that the idea of a trip to Iraq first began to simmer thanks to the insistence of the former Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See, but above all, the witness of Yazidi survivor and Nobel Peace prize winner Nadia Murad, who wrote the book Last Girl, recounting what the group experienced at the hands of the Islamic State.

“I advise you to read it,” he said.

Francis admitted that he did not expect to find the ruins he found in Mosul, the city that was the “capital” of the self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate by terrorist Islamic State.

“I had seen things, I had read a book, but [seeing the destruction] touches you,” he said. “When I stopped at the destructed church, I had no words. It’s unbelievable. Not only that church, but others too, and a mosque, that evidently was not aligned with these people.”

“Human cruelty, our cruelty, is impossible to believe,” he said. “Let’s look at Africa. With out experience in Mosul, these destroyed churches, animosities, wars, and now the so called Islamic State begins to spin. This is bad. This is very bad.”

“Something that came to mind in the church is this: who sells these weapons to these destructors?” he said. “Because they don’t build these weapons at home. Who sells these weapons? Who is responsible? I would ask these who sell the weapons to at least have the sincerity to say, ‘We sell the weapons’.”

COVID prison and future trips

[…]

On migration

Francis also mentioned having met Abdullah Kurdi, the father of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, who back in 2015 was found dead in Turkish coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, after the small dingy his family was using to try to reach Europe on their way to Canada capsized.

Alan, he said, is a “symbol,” that goes beyond “a child who died migrating. He’s a symbol of Civilization, of people who cannot survive, a symbol of humanity.”

“Urgent measures are needed so that people can have jobs in their countries so that they don’t need to migrate,” Francis said. “And afterwards, the right to migrate, which does not mean reaching a beach, but being welcomed, accompanied, integrated.”

He then took the opportunity to thank Lebanon and Jordan, signaling them as two countries that have been “very generous” when it comes to welcoming migrants.

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Vatican rules out Church blessings for same-sex unions

In a file photo, an LGBT choir sings outside the Pastoral Congress at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin Aug. 23. (Credit: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters via CNS)

ROME — Responding to efforts in some parts of the Catholic world to devise “blessings” of same-sex unions by the Church, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog released a statement Monday saying that such blessings are “not legitimate,” as homosexual unions are “not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”

“In some ecclesial contexts, plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex are being advanced,” says the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Such projects are not infrequently motivated by a sincere desire to welcome and accompany homosexual persons, to whom are proposed paths of growth in faith, ‘so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives’.”

The document, signed by Spanish Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria and approved by Pope Francis, was released Monday, together with an explanatory note that clarifies that the statement comes as a response to a question, also known as a dubium, submitted by pastors and faithful requesting clarification and guidance concerning an issue that might pose controversy.

The note adds that the purpose of the CDF’s answer is to “is to help the universal Church to respond better to the demands of the Gospel, to settle disputes, and to foster healthy communion among the holy people of God.”

The statement doesn’t specify who posed the dubium, though in recent years there’s been pressure for some sort of same-sex blessing ceremony in some corners. German bishops, for example, have urged a debate on the blessing of gay couples.

The response argues that blessings are “sacramentals,” whereby the Church “calls us to praise God, encourages us to implore his protection, and exhorts us to seek his mercy by our holiness of life.”

When a blessing is invoked on human relationships, it says, in addition to the “right intention” of those who participate, it’s necessary that what is blessed can be “objectively and positively ordered to receive and express grace, according to the designs of God inscribed in creation, and fully revealed by Christ the Lord.”

Hence it’s not “licit” to bless relationships and partnerships that, though they might be stable, involve sexual activity outside of marriage, meaning, “the indissoluble un𝗂on of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life, as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex.”

Even when there might be positive elements present in these relationships, “which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated,” they do not justify these relationships and nor render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing.

If such blessings do occur, the CDF document argues, they cannot be considered “licit,” because, as Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 post-synodal exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia, there are “absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”

The response also notes that the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “According to the teaching of the Church, men and women with homosexual tendencies ‘must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided’.”

The note also says that the fact that these blessings are considered unlawful by the Church does not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but a reminder of the very nature of the sacramentals.

[…]

The fact that gay unions cannot be blessed, according to the CDF, does not mean that gay individuals who express the will to live in fidelity to the revealed plans of God cannot be blessed. The document also says that even though God never ceases to “bless each of his pilgrim children,” he does not bless sin: “he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him.”

[Jester]

+JMJ+

Vatican rules out Church blessings for same-sex unions

In a file photo, an LGBT choir sings outside the Pastoral Congress at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin Aug. 23. (Credit: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters via CNS)

ROME — Responding to efforts in some parts of the Catholic world to devise “blessings” of same-sex unions by the Church, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog released a statement Monday saying that such blessings are “not legitimate,” as homosexual unions are “not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”

“In some ecclesial contexts, plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex are being advanced,” says the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Such projects are not infrequently motivated by a sincere desire to welcome and accompany homosexual persons, to whom are proposed paths of growth in faith, ‘so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives’.”

The document, signed by Spanish Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria and approved by Pope Francis, was released Monday, together with an explanatory note that clarifies that the statement comes as a response to a question, also known as a dubium, submitted by pastors and faithful requesting clarification and guidance concerning an issue that might pose controversy.

The note adds that the purpose of the CDF’s answer is to “is to help the universal Church to respond better to the demands of the Gospel, to settle disputes, and to foster healthy communion among the holy people of God.”

The statement doesn’t specify who posed the dubium, though in recent years there’s been pressure for some sort of same-sex blessing ceremony in some corners. German bishops, for example, have urged a debate on the blessing of gay couples.

The response argues that blessings are “sacramentals,” whereby the Church “calls us to praise God, encourages us to implore his protection, and exhorts us to seek his mercy by our holiness of life.”

When a blessing is invoked on human relationships, it says, in addition to the “right intention” of those who participate, it’s necessary that what is blessed can be “objectively and positively ordered to receive and express grace, according to the designs of God inscribed in creation, and fully revealed by Christ the Lord.”

Hence it’s not “licit” to bless relationships and partnerships that, though they might be stable, involve sexual activity outside of marriage, meaning, “the indissoluble un𝗂on of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life, as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex.”

Even when there might be positive elements present in these relationships, “which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated,” they do not justify these relationships and nor render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing.

If such blessings do occur, the CDF document argues, they cannot be considered “licit,” because, as Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 post-synodal exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia, there are “absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”

The response also notes that the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “According to the teaching of the Church, men and women with homosexual tendencies ‘must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided’.”

The note also says that the fact that these blessings are considered unlawful by the Church does not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but a reminder of the very nature of the sacramentals.

[…]

The fact that gay unions cannot be blessed, according to the CDF, does not mean that gay individuals who express the will to live in fidelity to the revealed plans of God cannot be blessed. The document also says that even though God never ceases to “bless each of his pilgrim children,” he does not bless sin: “he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him.”

"

[Cleon]

+JMJ+

Vatican rules out Church blessings for same-sex unions

In a file photo, an LGBT choir sings outside the Pastoral Congress at the World Meeting of Families in Dublin Aug. 23. (Credit: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters via CNS)

ROME — Responding to efforts in some parts of the Catholic world to devise “blessings” of same-sex unions by the Church, the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog released a statement Monday saying that such blessings are “not legitimate,” as homosexual unions are “not ordered to the Creator’s plan.”

“In some ecclesial contexts, plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex are being advanced,” says the document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Such projects are not infrequently motivated by a sincere desire to welcome and accompany homosexual persons, to whom are proposed paths of growth in faith, ‘so that those who manifest a homosexual orientation can receive the assistance they need to understand and fully carry out God’s will in their lives’.”

The document, signed by Spanish Jesuit Cardinal Luis Ladaria and approved by Pope Francis, was released Monday, together with an explanatory note that clarifies that the statement comes as a response to a question, also known as a dubium, submitted by pastors and faithful requesting clarification and guidance concerning an issue that might pose controversy.

The note adds that the purpose of the CDF’s answer is to “is to help the universal Church to respond better to the demands of the Gospel, to settle disputes, and to foster healthy communion among the holy people of God.”

The statement doesn’t specify who posed the dubium, though in recent years there’s been pressure for some sort of same-sex blessing ceremony in some corners. German bishops, for example, have urged a debate on the blessing of gay couples.

The response argues that blessings are “sacramentals,” whereby the Church “calls us to praise God, encourages us to implore his protection, and exhorts us to seek his mercy by our holiness of life.”

When a blessing is invoked on human relationships, it says, in addition to the “right intention” of those who participate, it’s necessary that what is blessed can be “objectively and positively ordered to receive and express grace, according to the designs of God inscribed in creation, and fully revealed by Christ the Lord.”

Hence it’s not “licit” to bless relationships and partnerships that, though they might be stable, involve sexual activity outside of marriage, meaning, “the indissoluble un𝗂on of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life, as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex.”

Even when there might be positive elements present in these relationships, “which are in themselves to be valued and appreciated,” they do not justify these relationships and nor render them legitimate objects of an ecclesial blessing.

If such blessings do occur, the CDF document argues, they cannot be considered “licit,” because, as Pope Francis wrote in his 2015 post-synodal exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia, there are “absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”

The response also notes that the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “According to the teaching of the Church, men and women with homosexual tendencies ‘must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided’.”

The note also says that the fact that these blessings are considered unlawful by the Church does not intended to be a form of unjust discrimination, but a reminder of the very nature of the sacramentals.

[…]

The fact that gay unions cannot be blessed, according to the CDF, does not mean that gay individuals who express the will to live in fidelity to the revealed plans of God cannot be blessed. The document also says that even though God never ceases to “bless each of his pilgrim children,” he does not bless sin: “he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him.”

"

The media keeps coming up with headlines over this homosexual marriage thing where the subtext reads like, "Hey we thought the Pope was on our side, WTH?".

Meanwhile, the Pope hasn't really Pope slapped the leader of the free world yet. I can see it coming soon. Soon.

[AFRS]

Meanwhile, the Pope hasn't really Pope slapped the leader of the free world yet. I can see it coming soon. Soon.

I doubt it. This pope has more in common with with the 'False Prophet' than any righteous soul. He's in bed with the Globalists He isn't going to Pope Slap his buddies.

[AFRS]

Meanwhile, the Pope hasn't really Pope slapped the leader of the free world yet. I can see it coming soon. Soon.

I doubt it. This pope has more in common with with the 'False Prophet' than any righteous soul. He's in bed with the Globalists. He isn't going to Pope Slap his buddies.

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

On the Question of Blessing Gay Unions [In-Depth, Opinion]

C.S. Lewis had a wise policy. He always resented officers who stooped down to instruct enlisted men on struggles they themselves never experienced. Consequently, he resolved never to do the same. That’s why he never talked about homosexuality or gambling, because neither held the slightest attraction to him. Somebody once replied, “So then, all those moral struggles you talk about in The Screwtape Letters and other books ….?”

Yes. It was true. All of them. As he put it, “My heart (I need no other) sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly.”

I mention this by way of preface, because it is not my intention to offer free advice to LGBTQ people in what follows, but simply to try to analyze what is going on the current contretemps from the perspective of somebody who believes and tries to practice the Catholic faith.

“Ah! But you admit that you think homosexuality is a sin!”

If by that you mean I think homogenital sexual acts are sinful, then yes. How many times do I have to say that I believe the Church’s teaching before people believe me?

But that is light years from saying, “Gays are more sinful than I am” or “It is a sin to be attracted to the same sex” or “Gays need to repent extra super more than the rest of us” or “Gays should get out of the Church” or “God hates gays for loving who they love” or “Gays can never please God” (a particularly beloved lie among the Fortress Katolicus crowd, who seem to exult at the thought of driving people away from Jesus).

As I already said and reiterate here, I have become convinced that the core failure of Catholic witness to LGBTQ people is that we nearly always begin, not with the fact that they are made in the image and likeness of God and ones for whom Christ died, but with the conviction that they are enemies, saboteurs, and irredeemably broken problems who must constantly be told they are broken, not loved; rejected, not cherished. Who, hearing such a message dinned into their ears day in and day out would not flee such an anti-community? To me, the truest sign of miraculous grace in the world is the persistent faith of gay Catholics in the face of such unremitting hostility from their brethren. I cannot account for it apart from the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.

That said, I think it worthwhile to take a look at the brief statement of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and break down what is going on in it. Many are deeply scandalized by it, in no small part because Pope Francis raised hopes that the Church was taking a different approach to its gay members when he offered that he believed that gay couples deserved civil protections, including legal rights and health care benefits. Some would argue that this is something different than endorsing civil unions, but I cannot for the life of me see how. It was to be expected that many would assume the Francis was therefore just about to wave the magic papal wand and suddenly authorize some sort of blessing for gay unions. Not marriage, exactly. But something marriageish.

I was never among that crowd, simply because I know something of how doctrine develops in the Church and what can and cannot be done. That is not (as we shall see) because I believe there is no way for the Church to acknowledge anything good whatsoever in gay relationships, but because I am aware of how slow and painstaking the Ents of Rome are when mulling over a question, particularly a question that pertains to the seven sacraments. These are, remember, people who literally took forty years of hooming and homming to conclude that the Beatles were a pretty good band. When you look up “Rapid Response Squad” in the phone book, you are never going to find the Magisterium of the Catholic Church in the Yellow Pages. Rather, what they tend to do is take forever to think things over and when they come to a conclusion, make shocking developments that seem counter-intuitive to Reactionaries, flabbergast the world, seem like novelties, and in fact be in accord with the Tradition. That is what Acts 15, Nicaea and Vatican II (to name just three councils) all have in common. It takes more than a mere pope to absorb the stunning changes to the conception of the family that technology, economics, and rapidly evolving mores have flung at the Church’s Tradition in the past 50 years. There is not going to be a sudden stroke of a pen resolving the tension between the Church’s teaching on the sacrament of Marriage and the wide menu of family arrangements (of which gay marriage is but one expression) currently available in our culture. Expecting there would be was naive.

The reason is, from a doctrinal perspective, simple. There is only one form of sexual expression compatible with the Tradition and there always has been: one man and one woman in indissoluble sacramental un𝗂on. That is the sacrament of Marriage. It excludes not merely gay unions, but all heterosexual unions that do not fit that description, including adultery, polygamy and polyamory, fornication, prostitution, etc. Other filters apply as well, including such things as incest, age of consent, and so forth. But the point is simply that one of the core functions of the Church is to guard the sacraments, and Marriage is a sacrament. She can no more tailor the sacraments to the personal tastes of the flock than she can decree that since lots of people like cookies and milk better than they like bread and wine, the Eucharist can be celebrated using those elements instead.

Once you get this, the CDF’s response to the question of blessing gay unions, though a painful blow to gay Catholics, is not all that hard to understand. Nor is it (as we shall see) the end of the conversation, and that should be a hopeful thought, as we will see tomorrow. What I propose today is that we see what the Church does–and does not–say about the question.

[…]

[durangopipe]

Never thought I’d see this ...

Pope cuts pay for cardinals as Vatican finances hit by pandemic

The Vatican's income has plummeted during the pandemic
Pope Francis has ordered pay cuts for cardinals and other clerics as the Vatican battles to balance its books during the pandemic.

Cardinals will see their pay reduced by 10% from April, the Vatican said.

They are believed to receive up to €5,000 (£4,300; $5,900) a month and often live in subsidised accommodation.

The Vatican expects a deficit of €50m this year. Its income has been badly hit by the closure of museums and other attractions in the pandemic.

The Pope has previously said that he does not want to fire people in difficult economic times.

In an apostolic letter on Wednesday (in Italian), the Vatican said that Francis had issued a decree introducing proportional cuts starting on 1 April.

Priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023.

Did the Vatican fund a film about Elton John?
Catholic Church 'cannot bless same-sex unions'
"An economically sustainable future today requires, among other decisions, the adoption of measures concerning staff salaries," the letter read.

It said action was being taken "following the health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19 which negatively affected all sources of income of the Holy See and the Vatican City State".

The Holy See is the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church.
The letter added that cuts were being made "with the aim of safeguarding current jobs".

Correspondents say it is the jobs of lay workers that the Pope is trying to protect.

Many cardinals based at the Vatican either live there or in large apartments in Rome at below market rents. Many priests and nuns working at the Vatican live in religious communities that give them greater protection from economic slumps.

On the other hand, the Vatican's lay employees such as police, cleaners and maintenance personnel, live in Rome and face higher living expenses.

A Vatican spokesman quoted by Reuters said most lay employees would not be affected by the cuts.

The popular tourist destinations of St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums were closed or only partially open for much of last year because of the pandemic.

The Vatican had hoped to reopen the museums this month but a new lockdown across Italy means they must stay closed.

Earlier this month, the Vatican's top economic official warned that the Holy See might have to use €40m in reserves for the second year running as a result of the pandemic. Revenues for this year are expected to be down 30% from 2020.

Last year, the Pope issued a new law designed to boost transparency in the Vatican's financial deals. It followed a string of scandals at the Vatican bank and claims of mismanagement.

That decides it.
Even though the pay is still pretty good, I’m not going to apply for a Cardinal position. The business looks shaky.

[AFRS]

Never thought I’d see this ...

Pope cuts pay for cardinals as Vatican finances hit by pandemic

The Vatican's income has plummeted during the pandemic
Pope Francis has ordered pay cuts for cardinals and other clerics as the Vatican battles to balance its books during the pandemic.

Cardinals will see their pay reduced by 10% from April, the Vatican said.

They are believed to receive up to €5,000 (£4,300; $5,900) a month and often live in subsidised accommodation.

The Vatican expects a deficit of €50m this year. Its income has been badly hit by the closure of museums and other attractions in the pandemic.

The Pope has previously said that he does not want to fire people in difficult economic times.

In an apostolic letter on Wednesday (in Italian), the Vatican said that Francis had issued a decree introducing proportional cuts starting on 1 April.

Priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023.

Did the Vatican fund a film about Elton John?
Catholic Church 'cannot bless same-sex unions'
"An economically sustainable future today requires, among other decisions, the adoption of measures concerning staff salaries," the letter read.

It said action was being taken "following the health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19 which negatively affected all sources of income of the Holy See and the Vatican City State".

The Holy See is the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church.
The letter added that cuts were being made "with the aim of safeguarding current jobs".

Correspondents say it is the jobs of lay workers that the Pope is trying to protect.

Many cardinals based at the Vatican either live there or in large apartments in Rome at below market rents. Many priests and nuns working at the Vatican live in religious communities that give them greater protection from economic slumps.

On the other hand, the Vatican's lay employees such as police, cleaners and maintenance personnel, live in Rome and face higher living expenses.

A Vatican spokesman quoted by Reuters said most lay employees would not be affected by the cuts.

The popular tourist destinations of St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums were closed or only partially open for much of last year because of the pandemic.

The Vatican had hoped to reopen the museums this month but a new lockdown across Italy means they must stay closed.

Earlier this month, the Vatican's top economic official warned that the Holy See might have to use €40m in reserves for the second year running as a result of the pandemic. Revenues for this year are expected to be down 30% from 2020.

Last year, the Pope issued a new law designed to boost transparency in the Vatican's financial deals. It followed a string of scandals at the Vatican bank and claims of mismanagement.

That decides it.
Even though the pay is still pretty good, I’m not going to apply for a Cardinal position. The business looks shaky.

Go for the top spot. Then you can give yourself a raise.

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: China–Vatican Deal
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 78 / pg 78 / pg 79 / pg 79 / pg 88 / pg 89 / pg 89 / pg 118 / pg 118 / pg 119 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 128 ] pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 129 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"China Watch": pg 1


Pope Francis spoke out against oppression in Myanmar. Why is he silent on China and Hong Kong? [In-Depth, Interview]

People hold candles as they take part in an anti-coup night protest at Hledan junction in Yangon, Myanmar, March 14, 2021. Pope Francis on March 17 appealed for an end to violence and the start of dialogue in Myanmar, where security forces have killed at least 138 people. (CNS photo/Reuters)

=========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

This is the second installment of a three-part series of interviews with Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States. You can read Part 1 here.

=========================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================================

On Feb. 14, 2020, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher met his Chinese counterpart, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, in what was the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the Communists came to power in China on Oct. 1, 1949. America asked in an interview if he has perceived a warming of relations between China and the Holy See in recent years, particularly since the signing of the provisional agreement in September 2018.

“I think what we feel is that there is greater understanding and more openness to talking about the issues,” the archbishop said. “Obviously, China is an immense country and has a huge population and a corresponding governmental structure, so we — the Holy See — actually negotiate with a very, very small group of people from that structure. So it is quite difficult to understand what the impact is of what they take back to Beijing or what we bring to Beijing.”

Since it seems that Chinese officials tend to follow a certain protocol in arranging meetings at different levels in the hierarchical structure, I asked Archbishop Gallagher if there are any plans for him or Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, to go to Beijing, or for Chinese government officials at the same diplomatic level to come to Rome.

“No, at this stage there is no plan,” he said.

[…]

“I think you will find it true that the Holy See does not have a policy, a diplomatic policy, of denunciation almost anywhere in the world,” Archbishop Gallagher responded, “and there are human rights abuses in many, many countries.”

He went on to explain the Holy See’s stance. He said:

We believe in trying to work with the Chinese. Our objective in the [provisional] agreement [of September 2018] is to resolve the difficulties we have in the appointment of bishops, and that is all it is about. We do, in our bilateral contacts with them, consistently try to argue for normalization of relations between the Catholic Church and the Chinese authorities, but we realize that this is a very long-term objective. But the question of the nomination of bishops has been and remains a big priority.

The Church in Hong Kong

Asked about the Vatican’s silence on Hong Kong, the archbishop asserted that “in Hong Kong, obviously, the Catholic community in itself is significantly divided on the policy. There are, you might say, Beijing loyalists on one side and then there are people who would like greater freedom and greater exceptions for Hong Kong. We try to work with the local church and do what we can in that way.”

“Again, I don’t think that ‘grandstanding’ statements can be terribly effective,” he added. “I think you have to ask what effect [a statement] is going to have? Is it going to produce a positive change, or does it make the situation more complicated for the local church and for relations with the Holy See? At the moment, we feel that’s the right approach.”

[…]

Democracy in Myanmar

Unlike in the cases of Hong Kong and the Uighurs, Pope Francis has spoken out strongly on the repression of democracy in Myanmar, which he visited in November 2017. About Myanmar, the Vatican archbishop said: “I don’t think the coup will be reversed. Unfortunately, the policy of the generals will prevail in suppressing opposition to what they have done. Sadly, that’s how I see it.”

He drew attention to “the context in which it is all taking place” and added that this is “a region of other authoritarian governments as well, so it is not as if they are getting denounced by their neighbors. I think that unfortunately the generals will not go back, and maybe international sanctions will have some impact but the generals have chosen their course, and I don’t think that will be changed.”

When asked whether or not the church supports democracy, the archbishop replied: “Well the Second Vatican Council, and indeed Pius XII years before the council, said democracy represents a form of government that very much corresponds to Gospel values. But obviously we do believe that democracy has different forms, and democracy has to be inculturated.”

“Yes, the church is supportive of democracy,” he added. “At the same time, however, the history of the Christian church has always been that we can live with many forms of government, and we have done so. Democracy is a relatively new child on the block. In some places it’s doing well but, as we’ve seen only recently, democracy is often challenged and threatened and is not appreciated by everybody. Now the church has to live with that reality. So, it’s not as if we put our faith in democracy alone. I think we have more [of] a vision of individual responsibility in terms of social action and commitment, and let the states determine the evolution of their own form of government.”

[…]

[Del]

Pope Francis in Iraq



In Iraq.
How can anyone not like this?

Looks pretty Catholic to me. Wosbald probably <hates> it.

I'm looking through this thread for comments from Catholic sources and comments from non-Catholics who find things to like about Pope Francis.

Unfortunately, this thread is overcome by posts from wosbald, just hating on faithful Catholics. Sad.
=====================

Pipeson has friends who are Chaldean Catholics from Iraq. There is a large community of them in Detroit.

President Trump defeated ISIS. Among the many victories accomplished for world peace and reducing Islamic extremism, this also restored some relative freedom to Christians in the area. Pope Francis's pastoral visit to the Chaldean Christians in Iraq was a notable event.

Chaldean Christians are an ancient Christian community, dating back to the time of the Apostles. They worship in Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke and prayed. The Chaldeans are very proud of this, working to preserve the exact words that Jesus Himself spoke at the Last Supper and other major events of His mission on Earth.

[wosbald]

+JMJ+

Subject Header: Viganò/QAnon/Deep State/Deep Church/Alt-Left
Intra-Thread Trackbacks: pg 63 / pg 64 / pg 65 / pg 65 / pg 66 / pg 66 / pg 73 / pg 84 / pg 120 / pg 123 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 124 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 126 / pg 125 / pg 126 / pg 127 / pg 127 / pg 128 / pg 128 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 131 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 132 / pg 133 / pg 133 / pg 133 / pg 133

Inter-Thread Trackbacks:
"Two sides of the same coin?":pg 12 / pg 13
"Mary Alone": pg 18 / pg 20 /pg 20
"President Trump is a problem...": pg 38 / pg 46 / pg 46 / pg 46
"THE CATHOLIC THREAD": pg 152 / pg 152 / pg 152
"THE CHRISTIAN THREAD": pg 8 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Any QAnoners Here?": pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5 / pg 5
"Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism": pg 4 / pg 5 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg 6 / pg 8 / pg 8 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 9 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10 / pg 10
"Purely Politics II": pg 13 / pg 14 / pg 28 / pg 28 / pg 44 / pg 52 / pg 61 / pg 71 / pg 79 / pg 108 / pg 108


Cardinal: Too many Catholics don’t understand that some church teachings can actually change

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, is pictured at a book presentation at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican in this Oct. 18, 2018, file photo. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Three days after the preacher of the papal household called on Catholics to repent for the ways they are dividing the church, the Vatican secretary of state said the divisions are real and they are harmful.

“Anyone who sees the situation of the church today has to worry about these things because they are there,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state, told Spain’s church-owned COPE radio network April 5. “It does a lot of damage to the church.”

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, had spoken about the divisions in the church April 2 when he preached at Pope Francis’ Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion.

Cardinal Parolin told COPE he believes part of the problem “stems from the fact that the pope puts a lot of emphasis on the reform of the church,” but too many people do not understand the difference between teachings and practices that must remain unchanged and those that can and must be updated and renewed.

“There is a level that cannot be changed, the structure of the church — the deposit of faith, the sacraments, the apostolic ministry — these are the structural elements,” he said. But because the church is made up of people who are prone to sin, “there is a whole life of the church that can be renewed.”

“Sometimes these divisions and these oppositions are born of the confusion of these levels,” he said. “One fails to distinguish between what is essential that cannot change and what is not essential that must be reformed, must change according to the spirit of the Gospel.”

José Luis Restán, COPE’s editorial director, told Cardinal Parolin he would not ask about the Vatican and China’s provisional agreement on the nomination of bishops, which was extended in October, but said he did want to hear the cardinal’s impression of the life of the Catholic Church in China and “what is at stake for the church in that large and complex country in the future.”

The future “is the perspective from which we should look at this issue,” the cardinal responded. “Certainly, the church in China is a fundamental part of the Catholic Church, and everything that has been tried and is being tried is to secure this community, which is still small, but which has great strength and vitality.”

“Everything that is being done is being done to ensure a normal life for the church in China,” he said, and part of a normal life for any Catholic is communion with the pope, which the agreement seeks to ensure by having the bishops recognized both by the Vatican and by China’s communist government.

[…]

“The steps that have been taken, even if they have not solved all the problems that are still there and that will probably need a long time to resolve, are in the right direction toward a reconciliation within the church because of this problem of distinctions — it is too much to say of separation — of distinctions” between those who accept a government role in the life of the church and those who do not, the cardinal said.