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Vatican newspaper compares marriage equality to communism
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(RNS) Faced with recent setbacks in the United States and in Europe, the Catholic Church has intensified its increasingly uphill battle against gay marriage.
The latest salvo came on Monday (Dec. 17), with a front-page article in the Vatican’s semiofficial newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
Historian Lucetta Scaraffia compared proponents of gay marriage, with their championing of “marriage equality,” to 20th-century communists who wooed millions with their promise of perfect social and economical equality.
Scaraffia, a 64-year-old former feminist activist who later became a fervent Catholic, has often written in the Vatican newspaper on the issue.
For her, the idea of gay marriage is a product of the same “egalitarian utopia that did so much damage during the 20th century … deceiving humanity as socialism did in the past.”
In November, voters approved gay marriage in three U.S. states, while Spain’s Constitutional Court rejected a bid to repeal the country’s same-sex marriage law. France and Britain are in the process of legalizing gay marriage.
The church has lobbied hard in all these countries. But it has also tried to present its position in a nonreligious way, as a defense of traditional family that can be embraced by believers and nonbelievers alike.
Particularly in France, church leaders say that their opposition to gay marriage is winning favor outside Catholic circles.
Last month, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the government’s planned introduction of gay marriage. “Our demonstration was declaredly non-confessional,” said Paris Archbishop Andre Vingt-Trois, who noted the participation of Jewish and Muslim groups.
This approach mirrors Pope Benedict XVI’s on the issue.
In his yearly message on peace, released on Dec. 14, he said that protecting traditional marriage from “attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different types of unions” is not a faith issue.
Marriage’s “indispensable role in society” is “inscribed in human nature itself” and “common to all humanity,” he wrote. Therefore, the church’s efforts to protect it are not “confessional in character, but addressed to all people, whatever their religious affiliation.” [More]
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39 Comments
Satan quoted the word of God, then changed the word of God. That is what so-called Gays want and true Christians cannot go along with this. We know what God said about homosexuality, it is wrong and sinful to change his word.
Correction, Elizabeth:
“We know what God said about homosexuality; it is wrong and sinful to change His Word.”
Be mindful of that, please.
It seems that if Jim has to beat up Tom, SJM, and others for their views on these issues by ad hominem attacks, his arguments aren’t that good. For Jim: “Accept my strange reasoning or I will publicly call you names.”
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
Casablanca?
Tony — this if from Wikipedia’s article on Casablanca: Rick’s toast to Ilsa, “Here’s looking at you, kid”, used several times, is not in the draft screenplays, but has been attributed to something Bogart said to Bergman as he taught her poker between takes.[129] It was voted the 5th most memorable line in cinema in AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes by the American Film Institute.
I thought so…….
Tony — you know your movies better than me. While you’re watching movies, I’m reading Faustina’s Diary.
I’ll take the movies thanks.:-)
Okay, fine. But, if you die before me, expect to see me zip right past you in Purgatory. I’ll save you a spot in Heaven, though; and, I’ll wave as I lightening past you.
Hey him, if you do get to heaven before me can you get one of those
Pltenary indulgences for me
Last night as I did a little research on St. Faustina, to my surprise, I recognized her vision of the Sacred Heart and the prayer “Jesus I trust in Thee” as the prayer my very devout father prayed daily. Until his death a few years ago he was a devout and ardent Catholic, attending Eucharist daily, participating in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, several rosaries a day and on and on. Daily Eucharist in his retirement seemed to make him more loving, more tolerant — a real delight in his older years. One day after “Mass” he turned to me and said, “Ann, I don’t understand why they can’t ordain women.” It was HIS statement that started my thinking and research. This from a man who prayed all his life, had nothing more than a HS education, and respected education by providing more than amply for his children. This from a wonderful man who prayed his entire life, in faith, sans fancy degrees from a Catholic theologate, and believed in the vision of St. Faustina. Sound familiar? Why should we expect any less tolerance and loving attitude from others who fit this description? My father will always be the best argument for me as to why any of us cannot be open to sacred change.
Get over yourself Ann. Even if this story of yours is true, women cannot be Catholic priests. Accept that reality or find another church.
Andrew, there was no such thing as a ‘sacrificial priesthood’ in the Church until well into the second century. There was of course Euchaist from the earliest days of the Jesus Movement but this Memorial of the Lord’s supper was observed by one or all at that sacred Meal. ‘Priethood’ is a later post-apostolic development. What happened before the ‘ministerial’ priesthood developed was a group of the baptized doing what they were baptized to do: baptise,preach, teach and celebrate the Eucharist. Anyone who is baptized is called to do all of this.
Thanks David.
Ann, this is a question so many of us ask. Why can’t a woman be ordained to Orders?
Did women preside over Eucharist in the early small faith communities? We’re some of the abbesses in the early days permitted to celebrate Eucharist for their Sisters, or more properly daughters in religion.
Thre is so much to ask and answer. Maybe people people like your father can pray for us. I know many Religious and clergy and lay people who say that God is sending us many vocations to the priesthood. But, God is sending the vocations to women.
Oh wait are we even allowed to think about this or have I just excommunicated myself for using my iPad asking these questions? Ha ha.
Tony — you ask the question about female ordination, which is prideful disobedience, as John Paul II proclaimed FOEVER that women NEVER will be ordained. You are wasting your time, and you are being obstinant. However, Ann takes it a step further. She is aiding and abetting the enemy by offering her recipes on a woman’s ordination website. So, she indeed is excommunicated, and can’t recieve the graces of the Eucharist; and, if she takes the Eucharist, as Scripture tells us she drinks condemnation on herself. So, I don’t know if you are excommicated, but Ann most definitely is.
Thanks Tony. Can’t help but smiling. Let me know if you want the recipe. Happy and Holy Christmas!
Ann — smart, mature people follow their Father in Heaven, as represented by the Holy Father on Earth. They do not follow their earthly father when their father is wrong. I don’t mean to be disrespectful of your dear father, as you were indeed blessed to have him as a father. But, Ann, the Church from which you are excommunicated teaches that we all are sinners — including your father, including me, and including you. So, your father is NOT infallible; nor did God appoint him pope. Daughters can wrap their fathers around their little finger.
Ann, one further thought — your father now knows the truth and is praying that you come to know the truth. It is likely his prayers for you that are propelling me and others to respond to you, to tell you the truth — which you can freely reject in your pride.
Thank you Jim for defending the Church and the truths it teaches. Today’s arrogant, self centered world thinks it knows better than the Church but nothing could be further from the truth. Men and women are not the same and without getting unnecessarily graphic, there’s a reason why the two sexes are equipped with what they have. Homosexual acts ( don’t hate on me progressives, I said acts not people ), contradict the God- intended roles for the male and female bodies. That’s the politically incorrect truth that will probably one day under Obama be a prosecutable “hate speech” crime but, it’s the truth. I can’t understand why the gay rights crowd is America is whining so much. They should be grateful they live here instead of China, India or any Muslim country.
I wonder if perhaps gay men and women were created by God as a natural population contol. Just saying.
Couples who choose to have no children are they as wrong as gays?
MJF as I understand it. In order to have a valid marriage in the church a stright cou ple must be open to having children or the marriage is invalid.
Andrew — I think one of the reasons gays whine so much is that they have a vague knawing at their conscience. I have noticed for myself that whenever I live contrary to the way God wants me to live, I do not have peace in my soul. There is no way ANY gay person — and I repeat — ANY gay person — can have peace in their soul. So, Satan tells them the way they can have peace is to get society to accept them. Of course, you and I know this is a mirage — they NEVER will have peace in their souls until they conform their sexual behavior to God’s plan for them. Yes, even for those who consider themselves gay, it is God’s plan that they either be chaste, or marry and have licit relations.
Sorry, Andrew — I forgot to change my handle on that last post. Ooops! I’m afraid I might have blown heretic doll’s cover.
I am reduced to hysterical laughter. These bizarre statements cannot even be rationally responded to…
Black is red, blue is green… my God, what has happened to the Church?!
The Bishops need to grow up. It is sleazy how the Catholics Bishops views marriage and to worry about things they are incapable of understanding. It is immoral to outline how expressions of love can be expressed for all people and all time. There was a reason for the anti-clerical movements in the 20th centuries as the threat that a clergy bent on forcing there own inappropriate and opinionated morally wrong theology on decent folk of any and all religions. If you are personally opposed to same sex marriage then don’t marry someone of the same sex. Be happy with who you are and cherish those who are different. This is the message of love that liberation is founded upon.
Remember, MJF, when you are on your deathbed and Satan makes you aware of your great sinfulness for attacking God’s Church, a Church given to us as a gift to enable us to get us to Heaven, and when Satan then encourages you to despair of God’s infinite mercy for your great sinfulness in spurning and attacking His Church, please please remember that God’s mercy is indeed infinite — it can certainly cover your horrible sins.
You guys are just learning about Jim? You may remember that scene in the The Name of the Rose where the inquisitor (F. Murray Abraham)is torturing a heretic who in turn asks Abraham: why in the name of God are you doing this? The exceptionally good and pure and loving Catholic responds: to save your soul. Is that where Jim is heading? Love becomes hate, comfort becomes torture.
Hebrews chapter 12 for you, Carl: God disciplines those he loves. Hebrews is in the Catholic Bible. If you don’t have one at home, you should be able to go to Barnes and Noble and browse a Bible for free. Hebrews is towards the end of the book; it’s in something called the New Testament, as these books were written after the birth of our Savior.
Gay marriage may become a Civil Rights issue in this country—and Communism was noted for a lack of Civil Rights. Not too surprisingly under the present regime in the Vatican, Gay Rights are opposed–Women’s Rights too to mention a few. I’d venture the Vatican regime today is more like Communism (in it’s popular sense–not Marxian philosophical sense) and it should not surprise that it takes one to know one—hence the article’s ludicrous comparison. Pretty soon the Bishops will be on the wrong side of a Civil Rights issue—wake up. Retool the Scholastic philosophical backbone of the Church–before it breaks completely under the burden of a much outdated blind hierarchy. Get with it.
Tom — are you gay? Your thinking has been clouded by the lust in the gay community. As the Blessed Mother told the Fatima seers, more souls (that includes potentially yours, Tom) go to Hell for sins of the flesh (sexual sins) than for any other reason. You have been brainwashed by the liberal femiNazi lesbians.
Seriously, Jim? I’m not sure I even agree with Tom, but I feel compelled to defend him. Where is your compassion, brother? Tom advanced a well-reasoned and articulate argument. Now, some among us might disagree with a premise or a conclusion, but he’s still bringing thoughtful discussion to bear. Your response – asking if he’s gay and suggesting he might go to hell – is extremely unfair and judgmental. You sound as though you are fueled by fear and hatred, not by compassion and forgiveness.
Wow, you got me on that one, SJM. Yes, now that you mention it, I am fueled by fear and hatred. Yes indeed. Now, let’s take a look at the first spiritual work of mercy: to admonish the sinner. Hmmmm, might I have been doing that. Now, let’s look at Luke 17:3, Jesus speaking: “rebuke your brother if he sins.” So, I am following the command of the Lord; I have the God-given courage to do so. And you? Where are you at? The building is on fire, my friend, and you’re sitting twirling your yo-yo. Last, let’s look at Ezekiel 33:7-9: those verses tell us that, if we DON’T correct our brother who is in error, he indeed will go to Hell, but so will we for sitting around playing with our yo-yos while the building burnt to the ground.
Hey JIM–I’m not gay. TOM
Tom — why are you being so defensive? What would be wrong if you WERE gay? Remember, by your reckoning, if you’re gay there’s nothing you can do about it, so it’s not your fault — so, what’s the big deal? You seem to be saying that being gay is an inferior position to being straight.
JIM–Just a fact. Not a defense.
Sorry, Tom, the nonverbals in your message suggest defensiveness.