Cardinal Mahony and his bishops pen soothing message to homosexuals
Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles and his bishops, Thomas Curry, Gerald Wilkerson, Edward Clark, Gabino Zavala, Alexander Salazar and Oscar Solis, have issued "A Pastoral Message to Homosexual Catholics in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles" (click on this post's title) and have posted it on their web site, in Spanish as well as English.
Apparently, the 98% of people who are normal may read the message, too. (Actually, I'm kidding by saying this, because the bishops do say in the first paragraph that they "would like" to address the message to all L.A. Catholics and to everyone in L.A.)
Our Catholic bishops' "pastoral message" explains at length that all major religions have always understood marriage and family as man-woman-based. But the bishops never mention the Sacrament of Matrimony and its founding by Jesus, nor do they quote any papal encyclicals or teaching documents from the Vatican. Our L.A. bishops instead quote the UN's "Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
No doubt our bishops would say their message's purpose is to explain Prop 8, not Catholic doctrine. But they are losing a "teachable moment."
Our bishops' message does not counsel homosexuals that their unnatural acts of sodomy cannot constitute a basis for marriage, that acts of sodomy spread hideous diseases, or that acts of sodomy are mortal sins and those who commit them may not receive Communion until they repent and confess. Again, the bishops are losing a "teachable moment."
The message does come with an appendix that provides the Bible's verses about marriage. (It also lists the Koran's verses about marriage, and in Arabic as well as English!)
The message brims with reassurances to homosexuals:
"...we want to reassure each of you that you are cherished members of the Catholic Church, and that we value you as equal and active members of the Body of Christ."
"...the importance of you, our homosexual brothers and sisters in the Church."
"...your personal dignity and value as full members of the Body of Christ."
"...the value and importance of of gay and lesbian persons."
"Your intrinsic value as human beings and brothers and sisters continues without change."
"We are disappointed that the ballot information about Proposition 8 stated that the purpose of the initiative was 'to ban gay marriage.' From the very beginning, this was not our purpose."
"If we had ever thought that the intent of this proposition was to harm you or anyone else in California, we would not have supported it."
"We are personally grateful for the witness and service of so many dedicated and generous homosexual Catholics. We pledge our commitment to safeguard your dignity."
"We are committed to find ways to eliminate discrimination against homosexual persons, and to help guarantee the basic rights which belong to each of us."
Our bishops should be defending our Catholic Church and the rest of society by telling all homosexual pressure groups to end their campaign to take over all elements of society and to silence, criminalize and punish all who oppose them and defend marriage, family and morality.
Our L.A. bishops say this about the homosexual campaign of hate against supporters of Prop 8:
"We are saddened that some people who opposed Proposition 8 have employed hurtful and accusatory language, and even threatening actions, against those who voted for Proposition 8. This is most unfortunate since such strategies obscure the basic matter at issue: the preservation of the ordered relationship of man and woman created by God."
In reality, of course, the homosexual hate campaign against backers of Prop 8 consisted of far more than "accusatory language" and "threatening actions." As has been reported, it targeted backers of Prop 8 with property damage, vandalism, physical harassment and violence.
Also, in reality the homosexual hate campaign is "most unfortunate" not because it "obscures the basic matter at issue" but because it is a hate campaign and because it violates the "rights," "dignity," "value" and "importance" of normal people. Our L.A. bishops fail to say that.
Can we next expect a pastoral message from our local hierarchy about cherishing L.A.'s preborn babies and the loving, prayerful and devoted pro-life activists who try to save them? Nope.
Apparently, the 98% of people who are normal may read the message, too. (Actually, I'm kidding by saying this, because the bishops do say in the first paragraph that they "would like" to address the message to all L.A. Catholics and to everyone in L.A.)
Our Catholic bishops' "pastoral message" explains at length that all major religions have always understood marriage and family as man-woman-based. But the bishops never mention the Sacrament of Matrimony and its founding by Jesus, nor do they quote any papal encyclicals or teaching documents from the Vatican. Our L.A. bishops instead quote the UN's "Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
No doubt our bishops would say their message's purpose is to explain Prop 8, not Catholic doctrine. But they are losing a "teachable moment."
Our bishops' message does not counsel homosexuals that their unnatural acts of sodomy cannot constitute a basis for marriage, that acts of sodomy spread hideous diseases, or that acts of sodomy are mortal sins and those who commit them may not receive Communion until they repent and confess. Again, the bishops are losing a "teachable moment."
The message does come with an appendix that provides the Bible's verses about marriage. (It also lists the Koran's verses about marriage, and in Arabic as well as English!)
The message brims with reassurances to homosexuals:
"...we want to reassure each of you that you are cherished members of the Catholic Church, and that we value you as equal and active members of the Body of Christ."
"...the importance of you, our homosexual brothers and sisters in the Church."
"...your personal dignity and value as full members of the Body of Christ."
"...the value and importance of of gay and lesbian persons."
"Your intrinsic value as human beings and brothers and sisters continues without change."
"We are disappointed that the ballot information about Proposition 8 stated that the purpose of the initiative was 'to ban gay marriage.' From the very beginning, this was not our purpose."
"If we had ever thought that the intent of this proposition was to harm you or anyone else in California, we would not have supported it."
"We are personally grateful for the witness and service of so many dedicated and generous homosexual Catholics. We pledge our commitment to safeguard your dignity."
"We are committed to find ways to eliminate discrimination against homosexual persons, and to help guarantee the basic rights which belong to each of us."
Our bishops should be defending our Catholic Church and the rest of society by telling all homosexual pressure groups to end their campaign to take over all elements of society and to silence, criminalize and punish all who oppose them and defend marriage, family and morality.
Our L.A. bishops say this about the homosexual campaign of hate against supporters of Prop 8:
"We are saddened that some people who opposed Proposition 8 have employed hurtful and accusatory language, and even threatening actions, against those who voted for Proposition 8. This is most unfortunate since such strategies obscure the basic matter at issue: the preservation of the ordered relationship of man and woman created by God."
In reality, of course, the homosexual hate campaign against backers of Prop 8 consisted of far more than "accusatory language" and "threatening actions." As has been reported, it targeted backers of Prop 8 with property damage, vandalism, physical harassment and violence.
Also, in reality the homosexual hate campaign is "most unfortunate" not because it "obscures the basic matter at issue" but because it is a hate campaign and because it violates the "rights," "dignity," "value" and "importance" of normal people. Our L.A. bishops fail to say that.
Can we next expect a pastoral message from our local hierarchy about cherishing L.A.'s preborn babies and the loving, prayerful and devoted pro-life activists who try to save them? Nope.
posted by Quintero at 11:00 PM
5 Comments:
"But the bishops never mention the Sacrament of Matrimony and its founding by Jesus, nor do they quote any papal encyclicals or teaching documents from the Vatican. "
They turn to the U.N., demonstrating whose sheep they really are, since they hear THAT shepard's voice.
Typical squishy LA_speak. But what's sad is that the Cardinal is so averse to teaching on abortion that he can't even write something squishy.
2/27/2011 can't come fast enough.
Paul in Long Beach
Dear Paul in Long Beach,
"Typical squishy LA-speak" is right!
And what with 155 babies A DAY being put to death in L.A.'s abortion chambers, a pro-life pastoral letter should be the least we can expect from our shepherds.
Such a pastoral letter should be not a one-time act, too, but a call to action, the start of an archdiocesan pro-life movement.
STOP pursuing such hatred in the name of the Catholic Church! This site is so un-Christian! Where is the love, compassion and other virtues Christ espoused and His Church stands for?!
Dear Kevin,
Please stop a minute to recall that one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy is to admonish the sinner.
Please read the Gospels and see how many times Jesus warns each and every one of us to repent and to stop sinning, and how many times He tells us about hell.
Please also read the works of the late Fr. Robert D. Smith. He wrote "The Other Side of Christ" to tell us about Jesus' warnings against persisting in sin.
You can find columns by Fr. Smith at: http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/columns/robertdsmith/otherside/06.asp
It is total love and compassion to want people to go to Heaven and to tell them how to avoid condemning themselves to hell.
Please pray about all this and ask God to give you His light and grace. We all need to pray for God's light and grace every day.
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