PabloSerna said:

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I do think that it will boil down to love because it is the one thing that is evidence of God.

Your examples are not the same. Love of money is not the same as love for another person. These people love each other as you love your wife or husband. That is completely different than love of money because that type of "love" is self directed. Hope you can see that difference.

I think it is important to notice the words used in the Catholic Catechism which states that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered " since they are closed to the gift of life. So that is the basis for not equating any blessing of same sex couples with the sacrament of marriage.

Would be interested to see what will be written of the love between homosexual persons.

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When you realize this a actually a lie that Satan has been whispering to you, then you might figure it out

PabloSerna said:

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I do think that it will boil down to love because it is the one thing that is evidence of God.

Your examples are not the same. Love of money is not the same as love for another person. These people love each other as you love your wife or husband. That is completely different than love of money because that type of "love" is self directed. Hope you can see that difference.

I think it is important to notice the words used in the Catholic Catechism which states that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered " since they are closed to the gift of life. So that is the basis for not equating any blessing of same sex couples with the sacrament of marriage.

Would be interested to see what will be written of the love between homosexual persons.

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OK, then wouldn't more love be even better? Why not multiple spouses?

No, contrary to popular opinion, Love is not enough! Using "Love" as the measure of whether a relationship is right or good (or deserves the Church's blessing) opens the door to accepting many heinous types of relationships.

The love of money example only shows that love can be disordered. Love for material things, and pursuing a romantic relationship with someone with whom it would be sinful to do so are two examples of disordered "love".

Does it not seem a bit strange to you that the same Church that will not bless a relationship with one or more divorcee's without first anulling the initial marriage should at the same time bless a same sex relationship?

So the goal posts have gone from you cannot bless sin to a blessing is not the same as a sacrament

TAM85 said:

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Blessings are not tightly restricted by the church. Homes are blessed; medals are blessed; Advent wreaths are blessed; water is blessed.

It is not a reason to get upset if the church blesses two individuals in a same sex marriage or blesses a pet that has no soul. Neither of those acts are sacraments.

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The kicker here being what is being blessed…

Are we blessing the individual to help them find grace and grow in Christ? The church blesses groups all the time for various reasons to provide them prayerful strength in their vocations.

OR

Are we blessing a disordered relationship and their sexual union that is sinful? The sinfulness not being in dispute by anyone here apparently… how can the church bless something it considers sinful?

There is a difference between blessing an individual, or even a group of individuals, and blessing a relationship.

The Blessing of a relationship is a tacit approval by the clergy of that relationship.

What do you think would happen if you asked a priest to bless your deck of tarot cards, or your ouija board?

Any faithful Priest would refuse to bless an inherently sinful item, and they should refuse to bless an inherently sinful relationship.

Blessing the individuals in such a relationship is something completely different. The Church has specific blessing rites for many different occasions and circumstances, a same sex relationship should not be added to that list.

Dad-O-Lot said:

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TAM85 said:

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I read it as blessing the people (the couple), not the marriage. People are sinful; people may be blessed. I suppose it could be worded clearer. But nonetheless if same-sex marriage was added to the sacrament of marriage, that would be a major change in the church.

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If an official, "Rite of Blessing of a same sex couple" is added, that would be a major change in the Church.

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https://www.patreon.com/posts/expanding-my-on-90524613

These supposed blessings, in simple terms, give scandal to the faithful. As others seem to be doing, there is no triumph in being technically orthodox when it confuses the faithful. The average Catholic cannot wade through the flood of nuance and distinctions. Clarity is charity.

Read the whole thing from Ybarra.

This pope is making it hard to understand what Catholics stand for anymore.

Sad day in our Diocese. Lots of feelings and thoughts. Not many of them charitable or kind about the Pope and situation or the world in general.

And the German bishops promoting gay marriage stay in place. What makes it even more sad is how few bishops stood up for him.

The Church has survived bad popes before, and we'll survive this one. I hope the next pope comes sooner rather than later.

SoulSlaveAG2005 said:

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Sad day in our Diocese. Lots of feelings and thoughts. Not many of them charitable or kind about the Pope and situation or the world in general.

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Many prayers for you all, this is a travesty.

RAB91 said:

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And the German bishops promoting gay marriage stay in place. What makes it even more sad is how few bishops stood up for him.

The Church has survived bad popes before, and we'll survive this one. I hope the next pope comes sooner rather than later.

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Justice is inverted.

Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.

ChiefHaus said:

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Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.

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Sadly her warnings are coming true. ,

And to my point about other bishops, what a bunch of nothing this statement is from DiNardo.



I'm borrowing this.... but it appears that the only thing that gets you fired by this pope is actually being Catholic.

Punishing people who criticize you is not a good look for the self proclaimed Pope of compassion.

Klaus Schwab said:

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Crazy to have that much power in one person.

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Lol. Username does NOT check out!

Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with all of your Diocese. We have been praying for Bishop Strickland and for all his Diocese since the visitation. The news this morning has caused both my wife and myself to share some tears. We have watched this brave voice for our Lord in many circumstances: the USCCB November meeting when the Pro-Life group was praying the Rosary to end Roe vs Wade. While the rest of the Bishops took a long lunch, Bishop Strickland quietly walked across the street, knelt and prayed with them. The Dodgers' game this year when he held a Rosary across from the baseball park and prayed the Rosary. When he has written extensively explanations of the "Deposit of Faith". When he has celebrated the TLM because he could not deny a part of his flock. So many other things too numerous to count.
Today, he has become in my belief, a "White Martyr" for our Catholic Faith, and for our Lord. Which, I might add, I also believe we will all be called to become before all is said and done. I pray that he continues to shepherd all of us, and especially all of you in the Tyler Diocese.
Know that you are in our Rosary! Mark and Marsha

hockeyag said:

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A question: Are parishes/ diocese required to pay a "tax" to the Vatican?
The Pope clearly dislikes/distrusts American Catholics, but likes the money sent his way.
Maybe a financial boycott is a suitable response.

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No tax. There's annual collections (voluntary) for a charity called Peter's Pence. People have been already withholding donations.

747Ag said:

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hockeyag said:

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A question: Are parishes/ diocese required to pay a "tax" to the Vatican?
The Pope clearly dislikes/distrusts American Catholics, but likes the money sent his way.
Maybe a financial boycott is a suitable response.

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No tax. There's annual collections (voluntary) for a charity called Peter's Pence. People have been already withholding donations.

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As parishoners we have very few ways to push back. Other than prayer, the only real option is to start withholding donations to anything at the diocesan level. I know that it is a little bit of cut off your nose to spite your face, but I'm really considering stopping my DSF donations in my diocese. I know that my individual donations won't make a difference, but if enough people do it it might. I'll still continue to donate to my local parish.