Pope Francis made some sweeping and one might say presumptuous statements this past Sunday which have caused more traditional Catholics to wonder whether their church will survive the often off-the-cuff remarks of the pontiff.
Following the lead of Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who seemed to be testing the waters for a statement on LGBT relations with the church and beyond, the Pope made the following observations:
“I repeat what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: that they must not be discriminated against, that they must be respected and accompanied pastorally,” Francis said at a press conference aboard the papal plane returning from Armenia.
“The Church must ask forgiveness for not behaving many times — when I say the Church, I mean Christians! The Church is holy, we are sinners!”
“I believe that the church not only should apologize to the person who is gay whom it has offended,” he added, “but has to apologize to the poor, to exploited women, to children exploited for labor; it has to ask forgiveness for having blessed many weapons.”
Francis first uttered that rhetorical question — Who am I to judge gay people? — in 2013, also during a news conference on the papal plane. His comments were hailed as a breakthrough for a church that has historically condemned homosexuality, often in harsh terms. Francis has not changed church doctrine that calls homosexual acts sinful, but he has shown a more merciful approach to people on the margins, including gays and lesbians.
A leading cardinal of the Catholic Church, one who is part of a council to help advise Pope Francis, preceded the pontiffs remarks at a different venue, saying that the church should apologize to gays and lesbians for the “scandalous and terrible treatment” inflicted on them for many years by the church and its members. Cardinal Reinhard Marx stated that “the history of homosexuals in our societies is very bad because we’ve done a lot to marginalize [them].”
It is worth wondering if the social changes in society and the drifting of membership has caused a new perspective in the church.
Cardinals comments question Church position on gays and lesbians, page 2:
The pope should end the church.
Only the gay catholics!!!
Senile?
Wish you would just go away, go read something, anything, just go.
I don’t know who wrote this but the Catholic Church has never condemned someone for being homosexual. The church has and still does condemn the act of homosexuals.
And he’ll have to answer to God.
Do we apologies to all people who break God’s law??? How about the pope apologies to Jesus!!! I think thats who deserves an apology. The pope is no popen when he goes by his own rules he makes up as he goes because he is weak and afraid of the enemy.
YOU need to apologize to the Church and step down and let the REAL pope reign !!!
Then according to this evil Pope, we will have conclude that God who in His inspired Word condmns the Gay sins and calls them “abimination”, is wrong and the Pope is right! How utterly deceived this man is! Let God be true and every man like the Pope a liar!
Ven buzi!