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:
I think Avon just came out with a new product called Pope on Rope….you can take in the shower…it will scrub you clean and your mind turns off completely. Is he nuts! Probably! First Obama makes his World Apology Tour and apologizes to Japan for bombing them after they started WW2 in the Pacific. Now this dope of a Pope is going to apologize for the treatment of gays…Don’t misunderstand me…I just don’t think that any group of people need to be singled out like that (It does a disservice to them, unless that’s what they want)……when all that you have to do is just treat them better…become a living example of how to treat All People! The next thing he will probably do is apologize for the Crusades…” Gee I’m sorry we raped,pillaged,and plundered the HolyLand….would you take an IOU for all the gold and priceless artifacts that were stolen This Pope Does Not Really Represent Catholicism! I’m glad I’m not Catholic!
No excuses for him, he has been on his rantings for a long time now. Get rid of him.
What’s going on with the Catholics
Awesome comment
Try the altar boys first, Popie1
You must apologize to god
Diana Hernandez Jimenez Thank you Diana Hernandez Jimenez. I should have said more.
You apologize mr Pope
Have them over for dinner
Knock yourself out
He should step down …..NOW !
I think the pope should apologise to GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! and hope GOD!!!!!! has Mercy on him