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| Portal of the Church of Pilgrims, in Washington, DC, with a LGBT banner. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
“The cardinal also spoke of the church’s ministry to gay and lesbian persons, addressing the topic of persons with ‘homosexual tendencies.’The most significant line of the day came from Paris’ Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, a synod president, who said that if people are expecting
” ‘It is reiterated that every persons should be respected in their dignity, independent of their sexual tendency,’ he said. ‘It is desirable that pastoral programs might set aside a particular attention to the families in which persons with homosexual tendencies live.’ “
“a spectacular change in the Church’s doctrine you will be disappointed.”and yes this would be very disappointing when the church-leaders would not come to see what is going on in our society and how the church can offer solutions if they want. Those Catholics who have set their hopes on changes in their church could be getting a cold shower at the end of the three weeks of intense debates.
The expression of Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte, the synod secretary, who said of the meeting:
“It will not lead to doctrinal changes, because it is about pastoral attention, pastoral care. We are about resonating pastorally.”does not look hopeful for those who looked forward for getting a 21th century church.
The cautionary tone of these prelates differed greatly from the more open tone that Pope Francis expressed in opening the first session of the synod. The National Catholic Reporter noted:
“Pope Francis has called on the hundreds of prelates gathered for his second worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops on family issues to remain open in their deliberations to the call of the Holy Spirit, repeating his frequent assertion that God is a God of surprises. . . .
” ‘It is the Church that questions itself on its fidelity to the deposit of the faith, so that it does not represent a museum to be looked at or only to be safeguarded, but a living spring from which the church drinks to quench thirst and illuminate the deposit of life,’ the pontiff said of the Synod.
” ‘The Synod is also a protected space where the Church goes through the action of the Holy Spirit,’ said Francis.
” ‘In the Synod, the Spirit speaks through the language of all people who allow themselves to be guided by God who always surprises, by God who reveals to the little ones that which he has hidden from the wise and intelligent,’ he said.”Though at the opening mass the Pope, seemingly very tired, with a slow voice said:
” ‘This is God’s dream for his beloved creation: to see it fulfilled in the loving union between a man and a woman, rejoicing in their shared journey, fruitful in their mutual gift of self.’At the change over from the 20th unto the 21st century those generations are shaken, after the horrors of two world wars materialist dreams have lured them away from spiritual matters and many are not any more aware of the real values in life which many had really felt severely when the battles went on in Europe. Now all the fighting goes on far a way from home and is presented as a reality show in each household where the ties have become very loose and because of no Judeo Christian values any more there is not much to bind them closely.
The same as the families are far away of the spiritual life the same are the cardinals away from real life with changing dapers. Even in the own household they often do not want to see how their priests and nuns look for love by their own sexes.
Just days before the Synod of Bishops kicked off in Rome 43-year old Monsignor Krzystof Charamsa announced he was gay and partnered. The theologian for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, assistant to the International Theological Commission, and professor at several pontifical universities in Rome, said he hoped to be “a Christian voice” influencing the Synod on Marriage and Family as it discusses LGBT pastoral care among other topics related to family life.
