Controversial comments from the Catholic Church
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Gay people should not join Catholic clergy, Pope Francis says
No room for ‘fashionable’ homosexuality and gay priests should be ‘impeccably responsible’ or leave
Pope Francis is “concerned” about what he describes as the “serious issue” of homosexuality, saying in an interview published on Saturday that being gay is a “fashion” to which the clergy is susceptible.“The issue of homosexuality is a very serious issue that must be adequately discerned from the beginning with the candidates,” the pontiff said with regards to would-be priests.
“In our societies it even seems that homosexuality is fashionable and that mentality, in some way, also influences the life of the church,” he says in the book The Strength of a Vocation, released in Italy on Saturday.
“This is something I am concerned about, because perhaps at one time it did not receive much attention,” he says in the book, a transcript of an interview that will be released in 10 languages.
The Roman Catholic church’s position is that homosexual acts are sinful. The pontiff’s stance on homosexuality in the clergy is not new.
A decree on training for Roman Catholic priests in 2016 stressed the obligation of sexual abstinence, as well as barring gay men and those who support “gay culture” from holy orders.
The barring of people who present homosexual tendencies was first stipulated by the Catholic church in 2005.
“It can happen that at the time perhaps they didn’t exhibit [that tendency], but later on it comes out,” Francis said.
“In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection. Therefore, the church recommends that people with that kind of ingrained tendency should not be accepted into the ministry or consecrated life.
“The ministry or the consecrated life is not his place.”
Gay clergy were urged to be “impeccably responsible” in a warning over bad behaviour that was notable for its silence on heterosexual clergy who break their vow of celibacy.
We “have to urge homosexual priests, and men and women religious, to live celibacy with integrity, and above all, that they be impeccably responsible, trying to never scandalise either their communities or the faithful holy people of God,” the pope said.
“It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than to live a double life.”
In 2013, just months after assuming the papacy, Francis said: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”, signifying a softer tone on homosexuality.
Spotlight on Vocabulary:
In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection. Therefore, the church recommends that people ...
therefore (fml) - as a result of something that has just been mentioned
In everyday English, we usually use so rather than therefore.
Examples:
Progress so far has been very good. We are, therefore, confident that the work will be completed on time.
She already had a lot of experience and therefore seemed the best candidate for the job.
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Comments
Pope said in 2013:"If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?" Who is he to judge anyone? Who are Pope and Catholic Church to judge people? Another question: If, as they say, the Lord has made everything and everyone, can anyone judge what he has created? This would be an offense to God. If the Lord has made a gay who is Pope to judge him?
Catholic Church doesn´t admit other opinions, it isn´t democratic. Catholic Church doesn´t allow that women act like men, for that reason there are not Pope woman or priests. It doesn´t permit to think in different way that it says. It lives with mentality from 20 centuries ago and the world has changed and it changes constantly. We can´t live like if we are in that period when people killed throw stones if they had committed a crime. Everyone needs a fair trial, with a lawyer, a procedure, a previous law and so on. I don´t mean that Catholic Church kills throwing stones, but that it has rules from that period and it isn´t possible now.
For Catholic Church almost all is sinful, but it isn´t true. In my opinion, Catholic Church was positive at one time, but now it is out of context. It should change to reflect today´s society, but, then it would disappear. This is its paradox.
See you.
I try to respect people who hold religious beliefs but it proves difficult at times.
Pope Francis / The Pope said in 2013:"If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?" Who is he to judge anyone? Who are the Pope and (the) Catholic Church to judge people? Another question: If, as they say, the Lord made everything and everyone, can anyone judge what he has created? This would be an offence (UK spelling) to God. If the Lord made a gay, who is the Pope to judge him?
The Catholic Church doesn´t admit other opinions, it isn´t democratic. Catholic Church doesn´t allow women to act like men, for that reason there are no woman Popes or priests. It isn't permitted to think in a different way to what it says. It lives with a mentality from 20 centuries ago and the world has changed and it changes constantly. We can´t live as if we were in the period when people were killed by stoning if they had committed a crime. Everyone needs a fair trial, with a lawyer, a procedure, a previous law and so on. I don´t mean that the Catholic Church kills by throwing stones, but that it has rules from that period and it isn´t possible now.
For the Catholic Church almost all is sinful, but it isn´t true. In my opinion,the Catholic Church was positive at one time, but now it is out of context it is no longer relevant. It should change to reflect today´s society, but, then it would disappear. This is its paradox.