Vatican consultant has defended Cardinal Christoph Schönborn...
Remember how the Cardinal over-ruled a parish priest and allowed a gay man a seat on the parish council of that priest's parish and then the priest resigned and people around the world were confused because they weren't exactly sure what the Cardinal was really saying and many wanted him to be more slavishly accurate in the translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - which isn't the only document on Church teaching regarding persons with same sex inclinations/attractions BTW?
So anyway, a Vaticanist has chimed in with his support...
.- An Italian politician and papal consultant has defended Viennese Cardinal Christoph Schönborn's choice to reinstate an Austrian parish council member living in a homosexual partnership.I'm glad that's settled.
“I defend the cardinal’s decision and I say that it seems to me that it is an intelligent pastoral reading of the Church's position toward homosexuals and homosexuality,” wrote Professor Rocco Buttiglione, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, in the Italian daily Il Foglio.
“If the cardinal would say that homosexuality is not a serious moral disorder, he would be mistaken. But he doesn’t say that,” Fr. Butt noted in the April 6 column. “According to the Catholic doctrine, homosexuality is a serious moral disorder … I don’t think Cardinal Schönborn denies this truth.”
“He just says that the homosexual is a faithful sinner, one who struggles for the faith and who needs support, with friendly and discrete dialogue, in this fight. He can’t be admitted to the sacraments, but he needs to be invited to participate in the religious functions and in the parish life.”
While the Church must maintain its teaching on homosexuality, Fr. Butt stressed that the doctrine must not “be accompanied by an attitude of human closure or hostility towards homosexuals. This, I think, it is the lesson that we have these days from Vienna.” - CNA
I kinda want to start drinking again.
Sort of like the band leader (I hesitate to call it a "choir") that does the "family" 10:30 Mass at my former parish. He and his lover are both in the band. They both have Facebook pages with lots and lots of "likes" for what are clearly homosexual sites with erotic pictures of men. They also publicly support gay "marriage" and on and on. Now I see that there are some of the young people of that parish that have "friended" them. And the message is?
ReplyDeletegood question. I would like to know that myself. So where is the line drawn?
DeleteSo he is saying gays cannot take part in the sacraments but can have a place in parish life, right? Just like divorced and remarried straight couples. Right? The problem is?
ReplyDeleteSo if you got rid of all the gays and all the divorced and remarried straights from committees, teaching, parish councils, music, altar guilds, cleaning, bazaars and fairs, or any other non-sacramental ways of participating in parish life, I'd bet that many more parishes in the world would fold. Not to mention there'd be little music at Mass and probably a lot of dirty linens and few flowers.
But the problem would be solved wouldn't it?
Ace - I know a woman who does the altar linens at church and she is not gay.
ReplyDeleteOh wait - I should have said, Ace stop airing your dirty linens in public.
Crap. That's not right either.
Beverly Sutphin went to church too.
Adrienne - I like your story better.
ReplyDeleteThe message is that I think the band leader plays a role on "Modern Family".
please define what councils are generally for?
ReplyDeleteplease define leadership for me and the quality & virtues of Catholic leadership?
Also, if one is not on a council can they serve the church in other important ways?
If one is not on a council, does that mean the voices of the other parishioners are not heard or cannot have input toward council activities and reviews?
... just a few questions that popped up
Oh ... one last question. What is a 'faithful sinner'?
ReplyDeletePML - Exactly!
ReplyDelete"Beverly Sutphin went to church too."
ReplyDeleteAnd so did Card. Bevilacqua.
"please define what [parish] councils are generally for?"
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, to give certain insecure minorities a sense of importance in the faith community...
I am confused- my understanding as a pastor is that the parish council is supposed to be made up of Catholics who are trying to the best of their ability to live the Catholic Faith with integrity- since they are to be role models for the rest of the parish. I guess things are different in Austria- but o- canon law applies there too. Humm the good Cardinal must be confused- maybe on purpose??- since we all know the gay community for the most part gets nasty when you dare to tell them it is not a great way to live- i.e. act on your disordered affections for the same sex. And Rocco B is a very good Catholic philosopher- no joke- it just goes to show what Terry N has said here for a good while: the homosexual topic is a blind spot even for many solid people in this crazy time. Our Lady of Akita pray for us. "O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to Heaven especially those in most need of your mercy. Amen.
ReplyDeleteThanks Fr. Richard - that was my understanding of parish council members as well.
ReplyDeleteSo I want to know what a "faithful sinner" is? and how this term relates to the tiny minority of Catholic men and women who happen to be same sex attracted and seek in earnest (at no small personal cost) to live a life in faithfulness to the Church's teaching?
ReplyDeleteA faithful sinner would have to be a saint, according to my calculations. All the saints recognized themselves as sinners. I do not know what the Buttiglione definition is, it's new to me.
ReplyDeleteGee that picture is funny. Laugh every time. He actually looks a bit like Steve Martin.
ReplyDelete