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CATHOLIC BISHOPS WRAPPED up a divisive synod on the family by submitting a ‘consensual’ report to Pope Francis that reflects a stalemate in the battle between the church’s conservative and liberal wings.
The document, which Francis is free to ignore, fudges the issue of whether divorced and remarried believers should be allowed to play a full role in the Catholic church.
It also confirms the pullback from the more explicit opening to lesbian and gay believers supported by progressives when the review of teaching on the family was launched last year.
Francis, who recognised in closing remarks that the three-week synod had exposed deep divisions in the Catholic family, will now consider how much of the report he takes on board when and if he decides to update guidelines on Catholic teaching on a broad range of issues linked to family life.
The text advocates a “case-by-case” approach to the most controversial question, the handling of divorced and remarried believers, saying they needed to play a greater role in the church but stopping short of explicitly ending the current ban on their receiving communion.
Gay believers
The document includes only one brief article on the church’s approach to homosexual believers, framing the question in terms of how priests can help support families who have “persons with homosexual tendencies” in their midst.
It reiterates that the church believes every person, regardless of their sexuality, is worthy of respect and a reception which takes care to “avoid every sign of unjust discrimination”.
But it strongly reiterates the church’s opposition to gay marriage saying:
There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and the family.
In closing remarks, Francis said the synod had been about confronting “today’s realities” without “burying our heads in the sand”.
He said the divisions that had emerged reflected important cultural differences which the Church should embrace in the way it applied its teaching:
We have also seen that what seems normal for a bishop on one continent, is considered strange and almost scandalous for a bishop from another; what is considered a violation of a right in one society is an evident and inviolable rule in another; what for some is freedom of conscience is for others simply confusion.
He also appeared to take a new swipe at the conservatives who had accused him of rigging the synod’s organisation to try to engineer progressive conclusions.
“The different opinions which were freely expressed -– and at times, unfortunately, not in entirely well-meaning ways -– certainly led to a rich and lively dialogue,” he said.
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I really don’t know why any gay person would want to be a member of the Catholic Church when it preaches hate and intolerance towards them.
I feel the same about women. Treated as a second class citizen.
90% of schools under Church control gives them power.
Scar Stát & Eaglais
Article on the top of the front page of the Irish Times says a lot….
Agree totally
Re: the new Senior Infants curriculum RE book wherein Mary Says Yes. Even to this day, telling little girls and boys as young as six that it’s ok to allow someone to rape you even if you’re scared and confused. They say on one hand that they are sorry for the abuse perpetrated by them and then sneakily trying to plant it into little kids’ minds that it’s ok to be raped, especially by one of them. And they thought no one would notice!
Hatred? Read any comment on here for hatred.
Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin, The immaculate conception is rape now? The liberal left are trying to convince us that black is in fact white…again!
Bingo, why are you defending a religion you obviously know nothing about.The immaculate conception refers to the conception of who Catholics call the “virgin” Mary.
Bingo is typical of Irish Catholics, though. Defending that which they know nothing about.
The Catholic Church have done a great job of making their cult seem indispensable to their members, while keeping them blissfully unaware of what they actually represent.
Most cultural Catholics would run a mile if they actually understood Catholic theology.
Jamsey, Ah sorry my mistake. The Book is as you point out, not about the conception of the Virgin Mary (Immaculate Conception) but is about the birth of Jesus through the Virgin Mary. However, it is an error to say “RE book wherein Mary Says Yes. Even to this day, telling little girls and boys as young as six that it’s ok to allow someone to rape you even if you’re scared and confused.” If Jesus was according to the church conceived by/through the Holy Spirit – there was no sex and therefore no rape.
Grigori Rasputin, I simply made a mistake.
Contrary to popular belief the Immaculate conception was NOT Mary falling pregnant with Jesus. The immaculate conception refers to Mary’s immaculate conception in the womb of HER mother – amazing how few people seem to know this
I’ve seen divorced /remarried people receive Communion in my local church over the years . I can’t see what all the fuss is about! Live and let live
Does the Priest know for sure that they are divorced and remarried?
Well it goes against the core belief system that they are always banging on about. If you break marriage which is a supposed sacrament then you are not supposed to receive communion. But if you’re gay, which isn’t really mentioned at all in the bible then you are persona non grata. Paedophiles are fine. They’re welcome. But love an another consenting adult?! The biggest sin according to today’s RCC.
Jesus said “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”……priests and bishops in the Catholic church need to go back and read their own bible before preaching to people about Christianity.
Seriously, what difference does it make, sure they’re only ice cream wafers.
VERY good point.
Seriously ,what a educated statement!!
People who have homosexual tendencies?
Seriously? Have they looked around their own ranks?
Bunch of outdated thinking men in smocks (a high proportion of which would have “homosexual tendencies”) pretending they’re in touch with the population. Go away. Come back when you have a more balanced & encompassing nature.
Obviously those within the church with homosexual tendencies are not wanted and should be expelled. I am amazed at how the priesthood attracts so many homos in the first place.
God chooses them.
RoN wants the institution of the Roman Catholic Church not to be merely fascist but Nazi as well.
it attracts so many because it’s a way of life where they have to suppress any natural sexual urges they may have and I doing so not have to go through the “shame ” of coming out.
homos Ron? You forgot to mention all dem n^ggers too. Ah shur. Only words. Is’nt that right ron.
unrivaled hypocrites, courting a brief image of a liberalisation in order to maintain numbers and recruit. If it quacks like a duck, etc.
all religions are irrelevant
Tell that to 90% of the Irish population who are Catholic.
The Devil would tell you that.
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” .. 1 Timothy 2:5
The devil doesn’t exist either.
RoN – how are the attendance figures at mass going? Are these 90% you claim cultural, devout or just like a dress up day and a few bob for their kids?
John – Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves. Numbers 31:17-18 nice fella your god, a proper psychopath, who needs a devil with this fella around?
Paul I’m not sure I can’t remember the last time the priest took a head count and compared it with previous attendance.
Ron, where are you getting those stats from??? Cos they are WAY off.
The devil sounds like a way better person than god. According to the bible, god has cold heartily murdered millions of people. How many has the devil killed?
“How many has the devil killed?”
10.
Comment of the year ! With you 100%
TheBull_ Mankind was almost wiped out because it turned its back on God, Millions perished.
and it’s all about to happen all over again. Luke 17:26-30
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+17%3A26-30&version=NIV
.
not to the deluded eejits who use them to justify their various psychopathic and sociopathic actions…looking at YOU, Ron…
they are official census stats actually lol
@JohnAbbs You mean god slaughtered millions of innocent babies because people wouldn’t obey him? Sure he sounds like a great fellow. No wonder his servants like to also rape kids.
No Elaine, they’re not. Go look up the last census.
Ask Hitler.
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
But if the God doesn’t exists, or the Devil, then perhaps your soul doesn’t either. No worries then.
eir – wow, as an arheist i dont believe in the soul, so sadly your god, nor any of the other few thousand, have any hold on me, because he is a figment of your imagination.
John Abbs have you read 17:26-30. It describes the work of the Devil and not that of god. How can you think that mass murder is the work of god.
God = good
Devil = bad
It looks like the false prophets has worked his way into the bible.
http://www.openbible.info/topics/false_prophets
So strange looking at all of those adult men dressed in medieval garbs playing a fantasy pretend game about supernatural beings and makey uppey stuff about bread being human flesh.
Hi guys! It’s 2015! Come and join us!
apparently, there is good money in role playing.
Is it as strange as somrone cowering behind a fake profile to attack people “Richard”?
It’s far stranger ‘Philip O’Brien’, if that really is your name, sounds made up to me.
All anyone has to do is check your Twitter and mine to see who’s real!
By the way get the spelling right next time.
I think if I ever had to go through a divorce, the question of where or not it’s okay for me to partake in a ritual involving pretend cannibalism in the form of a wafer, would be relatively low down on my list of concerns.
You obviously didn’t think hard enough.
As long as the Roman Catholic Church sticks to Church rules and stops interfering in civil law and Constututional referenda, that woebegone Institution is a matter of total irrelevance to me.
The funny thing is, the church claims it’s rules are absolute and gods word, but then a group of men in robes gather in a room, have a chat and change the rules. Does God show up and do PowerPoint presentations or do they all say “hmmmmm, how can we not screw ourselves over? Oh I know, be less hypocritical”. I’d love to see the minutes of those meetings!
Fiona, for someone who finds the RC Church irrelevant, you sure do spend a lot of time kicking it.
James, who wouldn’t when the church wants to control us and dictate morality, yet have no morality themselves.
Socrates, by that rationale, if they misbehave so should we?
James, irrelevant, if it butts out of civil law and confines itself to its own Church rules. Your level of comprehension is quite poor.
No, if they misbehave, they should be brought to justice. They have yet to see justice.
James, by your rationale, Criticising an organisation that covered up child rape and torture is equal to said child rape and torture. That’s a weird way of looking at it.
The Bull, when you get a minute explain how your conclusion could eminate from my comment. For the life of me, I can see no connection whatsoever.
Fiona, you’re just running with the other ‘liberal’ non-thinking sheeple who frequent this forum. But hey, if it makes you happy, who am I to brighten your day with the light of reason?
As long as the Catholic Church keeps sticking it’s nose into the making of laws in this country its followers have no one to blame but themselves when their organisation is called on the bulls#it it spreads.
Jamsey, regurgitating Fiona/The Bull’s nonsense comments does not improve them in any way, shape or form. Try and come up with something original. Good boy.
Something original??? Coming from a god botherer… Don’t make me laugh…
You directly compared us misbehaving (us criticising the church) and them misbehaving (raping children and covering it up). Is that clear enough for you?
The Bull, no,you totally misinterpreted what I said, but don’t worrry about it.
Jamsey, Jamsey, Jamsey God botherer is very dated and very unoriginal.
This Bronze Age death cult has no business having the public influence it does in our modern Republic. I have no problem with people having their personal beliefs, no matter how bizarre, but keep them out of the affairs of the State.
Stick your communion up your arse!
The Round Wafer represents pagan sun god worship.
John no it doesn’t…
Yeah, it represents the edible flesh of a 2000 year old dead man. Much better.
Represents God really… And his sacrifice for us becoming flesh.
Bore off.
So, when the pope comes to visit, will schools be putting kids on busses to go see him?
Dialathas na hÉireann
Separate Church & State.
No parent in their right mind should let their kids near these people.
http://s9.postimg.org/946t6h21b/addtext_com_MTI1_Mz_Iw_NDk5_NTc.jpg
I hope the pope is paying for all his expenses and my tax euros are not!!
Does anyone with even a small bit of intelligence give a shíte what they think!
Once this generation of hierarchy die out, the Church has two choices either hope for a lifeline of forgiveness from all those they alienated or perish . Right now it’s a desperate repainting of the deckchairs on the titanic the day before the iceberg of doom
Importation of priests from developing countries will be the norm.
How many people out there go for communion every week or on a regular bases. When is the catholic church going to come into this century. We have divorce, single parent families, homosexuality, special needs children & adults. WOW if they wish to visit a church & receive communion who is the church to say they cant. Wake up smell the coffee. The catholic church as an organisation has one of the largest claims against them for sexual & physical abuse. They still want to tell us how to live our lives. Get over yourselves. I will give you the 1 & 2 cent coins we are going to take out of circulation to go play in the traffic.
Please divorce (excommunicate) all of us Yes voters if you feel that strong. After all we broke the rules – or do u want to pretend that you still have more members than u do?
I’m surprised to hear of a liberal wing in the Roman Catholic Church, a repressive Institutution, devoted to the protection of privilege and authoritarian in outlook.
Not all religious folk, are slack jawed yokels, some extremely intelligent people are, and that’s the paradox I can’t get my head around. They all have the same evidence we have, yet they truly believe in the supernatural, Virgin births, a man flying to heaven on a winged horse etc etc etc. It is something that keeps me up late at night wondering why.
Stephen…You’ve reminded me of the story about the dyslexic insomniac agnostic, who used to stay awake all night, wondering if there was a dog…
and I think it was a winged camel, but I agree with you…it’s baffling…
Let them keep their stale wafer. Why would anyone want to be re-associated with an organisation that would prefer they stayed in an abusive, unhappy or dangerous marriage rather than allow them break some archaic rule from a religion based on a story to put children to sleep at night.
Anyone who is still religious in this day and age is just kidding themselves. Jokes over guys seriously. Cop on to yourselves.
The Tiger Loaf in Lidl is WAY nicer and freshly baked on a Sunday morning.
I’m looking forward to GLEN’s report on the bedroom lives of senior clerics!
When you think about it, who the fcuk are they to ‘allow’ shit?
The church was also anti condom which did little to help the poor bloke with 4 kids and no job. As the old ad use to say … Good Year could have prevented that accident !
Pig guts…
Who gives a shit what the church has to say?
Not changing fast enough lads. The CC will be dead and buried in a generation.
Yes, and IS will take over. Be careful what you wish for.
Maybe empathy will take over and all religion will be buried. Now that is some thing to wish for. No god needs a religion to exist. All is needed is empathy and empathy alone.
Really? They’re picking and choosing their customers again! Surely Catholic Church inc. should be increasing numbers in this day and age.
That’s great,I’m looking forward to having sex with my presant husband of 3 years.
What about the teachings of the Apostolic fathers as well as those of the Saints??? Or is that dead to the catholic church now?
The title under the photo reads: “Pope Francis prepares for the Holy Communion”.
Some heathen wrote that anyway.
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