The collapse of morality This is disgusting beyond belief. My respect for each has now entered free fall; not that long ago this was real respect. Not any more; both are heretics to their faiths. What such actions by people like this do is make me even more determined to continue in my efforts. Both of them are, as far as I now a concerned, frauds and charlatans. And for what? To appease the political Left? Such actions forfeit their spiritual authority. This is sickening. BR comment -------------------------- Pope: Church Should Tolerate Some Civil Unions Started by ilona trommler By Bill Hoffmann
The Catholic Church could tolerate some types of civil unions as a way of protecting healthcare and property rights, Pope Francis said. "Matrimony is between a man and a woman," the pontiff told the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published Wednesday and translated by the Catholic News Service. But moves to "regulate diverse situations of cohabitation [are] driven by the need to regulate economic aspects among persons, as for instance to assure medical care ... It is necessary to look at the diverse cases and evaluate them in their variety." Francis: Who Is Pope Francis? Book Reveals the Man It is the first time a Pope has ever indicated even a minute acceptance of civil unions. In the interview, the Pope also said that while the church would not alter its stance against artificial birth control, church teachings on the subject should be applied with "much mercy." Francis praised Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae," which prohibits the use of contraception. Pope Paul's "genius was prophetic. He had the courage to side against the majority, defend moral discipline, put a brake on the culture, oppose neo-Malthusianism, present and future," the Pope said. But he added that Paul had told confessors to interpret his encyclical with "much mercy, attention to concrete situations," according to the Catholic News Service. "The question is not whether to change the doctrine, but to go deeper and make sure that pastoral care takes account of situations and of what each person is able to do," he said. Francis said the subjects of birth control and divorce will be discussed at the Vatican in October during a Synod of Bishops. The synod will air the issues "in the light of profound reflection," he said. Francis also defended the church's response to the clerical sex abuse scandals. He said the crimes had left "very profound wounds," but noted that beginning with Pope Benedict, the church has done "perhaps more than anyone" to tackle the problem. "Statistics on the phenomenon of violence against children are shocking, but they also clearly show the great majority of abuses occur in family and neighborhood settings," Francis said. "The Catholic Church is perhaps the only public institution to have acted with transparency and responsibility. No one else has done more. And yet the church is the only one attacked." Francis also brushed off those who believe he is a superhuman being. "To portray the Pope as a kind of superman, a type of star, strikes me as offensive. The Pope is a man who laughs, weeps, sleeps soundly, and has friends like everybody else. A normal person," he said. Francis: Who Is Pope Francis? Book Reveals the Man He said he consults with Pope Benedict and has advised him to actively participate in church life. "The Pope emeritus is not a statue in a museum," Francis said. _http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Pope-Francis-civil-union-marriage-._ (http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Pope-Francis-civil-union-marriage-birth-control /2014/03/05/id/556262#ixzz2v8QjUzSs) ========================================= The Dalai Lama Says Gay Marriage Is OK During Larry King Interview ("The Huffington Post," March 6, 2014) The Dalai Lama came out in support of marriage equality during a Larry King interview where he said that he is OK with same sex marriage. Though he has referred to Buddhist texts disallowing same sex intimacy in the past, his views on the subject appear to have evolved over the years. This is the Buddhist leader's clearest affirmation of same-sex marriage to date. After talking about human rights violations with regards to LGBT individuals, especially in Russia, King asked the Dalai Lama, "What about same sex marriage?" The Dalai Lama responded, "That's up to the country's law," but when King directly asked "What do you feel personally about it?" he responded, "It's OK! I think it's individuals' business." He added, "If two people, a couple, really feel that way, it’s more practical, more satisfaction, and both sides fully agree, then OK!” Earlier he encouraged people to follow their own personal religious traditions, and to avoid "sexual misconduct." -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
