LGBT News Pope Excommunicates Gay-Friendly Priest

And he's being hailed as some sort of modern saint?

 

I guess the guy was also holding "informal communion services". That's a pretty big deal in the Catholic church. Considering this doesn't really match up with his previous statements, I'm going to suspend judgment for now. I kinda think there must be a bit more at play in this. Excommunication is kind of a big deal. It doesn't happen often.

 

I don't know what to say. I really don't. There was an openly gay priest, a Franciscan, who was in a parish around the New York City area long before Francis and Benedict. He was a real activist, in the helper sense, ministering to those with AIDS. He ultimately lost his life by trying to help people escape from the World Trade Center. The Catholic press itself has written glowing things about him. Clearly, he was never excommunicated.

 

I'm thinking this too, it has to be something serious to warrant excommunication. Also the fact they tacked on that this guy was an advocate for women's rights and same-sex marriage seems like a petty attempt to get a rise out of people, especially if they don't (at this point) seem to be the reason for his excommunication.

 

Pretty sure they only tacked on the women's rights and same-sex marriage thing to calm the catholics that are calling for him to be replaced somehow.

There was probably more involved than that consideriing what the Pope's said recently. Otherwise by his own admission he'd have to be removed.

 

A removal would be quite an event. I don't see it happening. The mere fact that Benedict stepped down was considered highly unusual, since they typically serve until death, right from their nursing home type beds.

 

Please read the full article before making an opinion

 

I read it. But there are whole Catholic organizations that support same-sex marriage. This isn't the WBC we're talking about. It's an issue, but people don't get excommunicated for believing in marriage equality. In light of what Francis has said in the past, I'm just not ready to throw him in the stocks based on a rather vague article. The excommunication letter didn't cite a reason. The reasons are, thus far, speculation. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

Yeah, he's part of an independent group that have broken off from the Catholic Church Home Page

That's the website. He and other priests have basically decided to have a reformation. Not that it's bad; they're still Catholic, just with reasonable principles.

 

There's also an independent Catholic movement in America. It's not that big. I don't know about its growth. It's supposed to feel like the real thing, but have a more relaxed stance on interpersonal and intimacy issues that the main church has an issue with. It would take someone who really digs being Catholic and wanting to be part of a church to sign up. Most people have chosen to either go a couple of times a year, or have chosen to break off completely, unless it's to attend a wedding or a funeral to show proper form. Those events usually come complete with food, anyway.

 

I wont judge the pope on this, as the article is ambiguos...some times i feel there is some sort media manipulation directed at attacking catholic church...

 

Sometimes the corruption in archdioceses and dioceses, on a proportional scale, is more disturbing than what the Vatican can dish out. You know - back slapping, greased palms, a changing and current dogma with whomever is at the lead, quick resignations, many reassignments, etc. It's really quite tragic and disenfranchising.

 

We don't know exactly why, so I'll wait for more information before making an opinion. I hope they're just biased and trying make us think that's the reason.

 

Just when i was saying he should excommunicate some bigot priests to prove his sincerity...

 

For the moment my line of thinking is somewhat along this, but justified or not some of my enthusiasm about this new Pope has been tempered by this. In all probability there is more going on here than we have heard about, but I just can't let this go by without it bothering me just a little bit.

 

Still, that's kind of the same as founding a company in your garage, but keeping a day job for a multinational, and insisting you little garage company gets to market things with the multinational's label, because "there's only a few differences".

In that case, no one would argue against the multinational saying "stop using our logo!" and firing you from your day job. Maybe you had high principles, maybe your product was even better! The multinational was still well within rights to fire you.

Mind you, without a formal statement from any party, that's just one interpretation. I do think the Church would fare better with some transparency.

 

I don't think it's delusion fueling people. No one is saying he's going to join PFLAG and start wearing rainbow robes. His stance is just a lot more positive than the world is used to hearing from a pope. Of course it isn't enough, but it's a step in the right direction. I'm also not dismissing the idea of the article being accurate, I just think we have justifiable grounds to suspect that the focus is off.