Aboard the papal plane, Sep 11, 2017 / 10:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his conversation with journalists on the return flight from Cartagena to Rome on Monday, Pope Francis touched on a variety of topics, notably the US government’s decision to end DACA and the crisis in Venezuela.
He also touched on the peace process in Colombia, Hurricane Irma, climate change, and migration during his Sept. 11 flight.
Please find below CNA’s full transcript of the Pope’s in-flight press conference.
Greg Burke: Thank you, Holy Father, for the time you are dedicating to us today after an intense, tiring trip; very tiring for some, but also a very fruitful trip. On several occasions you thanked the people for what they taught you. We also learn many things in this culture of encounter and we thank you for it.
Colombia in particular, with its recent past, and not only recent, offered us some strong testimonies, some emotional testimonies of forgiveness and reconciliation. But it also offered us a continuous lesson of joy and hope, two words that you used a lot in this trip. Now perhaps you want to say something, and then we can go to the questions. Thank you.
Pope Francis: Good afternoon and thank you very much for your work. I am moved by the joy, the tenderness, the youth and the goodness of the Colombian people. A noble people that isn’t afraid to express how they feel, isn’t afraid to listen and to make seen how they feel. This is how I perceive it. This is the third time I remember [that I have been in Colombia] – but there is a bishop who told me: no, you have been a fourth time – but only for small meetings. One time in Laceja and the other two in Bogota, or three, but, I did not know Colombia well, what you see on the streets. Well, I appreciate the testimony of joy, of hope, of patience in suffering of this people. It did me a lot of good. Thank you.
Greg Burke: Okay, Holy Father. The first question is from César Moreno of Radio Caracol.
Moreno: Thank you, Your Holiness. Good evening. First of all, I would like to thank you on behalf of all the Colombian media that are accompanying us here on this trip, and all of the colleagues and friends for having come to our country, for having given us so many beautiful, profound and affectionate messages, and for such closeness that you demonstrated to the Colombian people. Thank you, Your Holiness.
You arrived, Holy Father, to a divided country. Divided on account of a peace process, between those who accept and those who don’t accept this process. What concretely can be done, what steps can be taken, so that the divided parts grow closer, so that our leaders stop this hate, this grudge? If Your Holiness returns, if you could return to our country in a few years, what do you think, how would you like to see Colombia? Thank you.
Pope Francis: I would like the motto to at least be: “Let us take the second step.” That at least it is this. I thought that there were more. I counted 60, but they told me 54 years of the guerrillas, more or less. And here it accumulates a lot, a lot. A lot of hatred, a lot of resentment, a lot of sickness in the soul. And the sickness isn’t to blame. It comes. The measles grabs and drags you…oh, sorry! I’ll speak in Italian. The sickness is not something to blame, it comes. And in these guerrilla wars – that they really waged, whether they were guerrillas, paramilitaries, or others – and also the corruption in the country, they committed gross sins that lead to this disease of hatred, of…But if they have taken steps that give hope, steps in negotiation, but it has been the last. The ELN ceasefire, and I am very grateful for it, very grateful for this. But there is something else that I perceived. The desire to go forward in this process goes beyond negotiations that they are being done or should be done. It is a spontaneous desire, and this is the strength of the people. This people wants to breathe, but we must help them with the closeness of prayer, and above all with the understanding of how much pain there is inside so many people.
Greg Burke: Now Holy Father, José Mojica, from El Tiempo.
José Mojica: Holy Father, it’s an honor to be here, to be here with you. My name is José Mojica and I am a journalist for El Tiempo, the editorial home of Colombia, and I also greet you in the name of my Colombian colleagues and all communications media in my country.
Colombia has suffered many decades of violence due to the war, the armed conflict and also drug trafficking. However, the ravages of corruption in politics have been just as damaging as the war itself, and although corruption is not new, we have always known that it exists, now it’s more visible because we no longer have news of the war and the armed conflict. What can we do in front of this scourge, up to what point can we stand the corrupt, how do we punish them? And finally, should the corrupt be excommunicated?
Pope Francis: You ask me a question I have asked myself many times. I put it to myself in this way: do the corrupt have forgiveness? I asked myself like this. And I asked myself when there was an act of…in the province of Catamarca, in Argentina, an act of mistreatment, abuse, the rape of a girl. And there were people stuck there, very attached to political and economic powers in this province.
An article published in La Nacion at that time moved me a lot, and I wrote a small book which is called “Sin and Corruption.” …always we are all sinners, and we know that the Lord is close to us, that he never tires of forgiving. But the difference: God never tires of forgiving, the sinner sometimes wakes up and asks for forgiveness. The problem is that the corrupt get tired of asking for forgiveness and forget how to ask for forgiveness, and this is the serious problem. It’s a state of insensitivity before values, before destruction, before the exploitation of people. They are not able to ask forgiveness, it’s like a condemnation, so it’s very hard to help the corrupt, very hard. But God can do it. I pray for that.
Greg Burke: Holy Father, now Hernan Reyes, from TELAM.
Hernán Reyes: Holiness, the question is from the Spanish language group of journalists. You spoke of this first step that Colombia has made. Today at the Mass, you said that there hasn’t been enough dialogue between the two parts, but was it necessary to incorporate more actors. Do you think it’s possible to replicate this Colombia model in other conflicts in the world?
Pope Francis: Integrating other people. Also today in the homily I spoke of this, taking a passage from the Gospel. Integrating other people. It’s not the first time, in so many conflicts many people have been involved. It’s a way of moving ahead, a sapiential way of politics. There is the wisdom of asking for help, but I believe that today I wished to note it in the homily – which is a message, more than a homily – I think that these technical, let’s say ‘political’, resources help and interventions of the United Nations are sometimes requested to get out of the crisis. But a peace process will go forward only when the people take it in their hands. If the people don’t take it in hand, it can go a bit forward, they arrive at a compromise. It is what I have tried to make heard during this visit: the protagonist of the peace process either is the people or it arrives to a certain point, but when the people take it in hand, they are capable of doing it well… that is the higher road.
Greg Burke: Now, Elena Pinardi.
Elena Pinardi (EBU): Good evening, Holiness. First of all, we would like to ask how you are doing. We saw that you hit your head… how are you? Did you hurt yourself?
Pope Francis: I turned there to greet children and I didn’t see the glass and boom!
Pinardi: The question is this: while we were flying, we passed close to Hurricane Irma, which after causing … deaths and massive damage in the Caribbean islands and Cuba, it’s feared that broad areas of Florida could end up underwater, and 6 million people have had to leave their homes. After Hurricane Harvey, there have been almost simultaneously three hurricanes in the area. Scientists say that the warming of the oceans is a factor that contributes to making the storms and seasonal hurricanes more intense. Is there a moral responsibility for political leaders who reject collaborating with the other nations to control the emission of greenhouse gas? Why do they deny that climate change is also be the work of man?
Pope Francis: Thanks. For the last part, to not forget, whoever denies this should go to the scientists and ask them. They speak very clearly. The scientists are precise. The other day, when the news of that Russian boat came out, I believe, that went from Norway to Japan or Taipei by way of the North Pole without an icebreaker and the photographs showed pieces of ice. To the North Pole, you could go. It’s very, very clear. When that news came from a university, I don’t remember from where, another came out that said, ‘We only have three years to turn back, otherwise the consequences will be terrible.’ I don’t know if three years is true or not, but if we don’t turn back we’re going down, that’s true. Climate change, you see the effects and scientists say clearly which is the path to follow. And all of us have a responsibility, all… everyone… a little one, a big one, a moral responsibility, and to accept from the opinion or make decisions, and we have to take it seriously. I think it’s something that’s not to joke around with. It’s very serious. And you ask me: what is the moral responsibility. Everyone has his. Politicians have their own. Everyone has their own according to the response he gives.
I would say: everyone has their own moral responsibility, first. Second, if one is a bit doubtful that this is not so true, let them ask the scientists. They are very clear. They are not opinions on the air, they are very clear. And then let them decide, and history will judge their decisions. Thanks.
Enzo Romeo (TG2): Good afternoon, Holy Father. I unite myself to the question my colleague made earlier because you frequently in the speeches you gave in Colombia, called again, in some way, to make peace with creation. Respecting the environment as a necessary condition so that a stable social peace may be created. The effects of climate change, here in Italy – I don’t know if you’ve been informed – has caused many deaths in Livorno…
Pope Francis: After three-and-a-half months of drought.
Romeo: … much damage in Rome. We are all concerned by this situation. Why is there a delay in taking awareness, especially by governments, that nevertheless appear to be solicitous perhaps in other areas, for example, in arms trade? We are seeing the crisis in Korea, also about this I would like to have your opinion.
Pope Francis: Why? A phrase comes to me from the Old Testament, I believe from the Psalm: Man is stupid. He is stubborn one who does not see, the only animal of creation that puts his leg in the same hole is man… the horse, no, they don’t do it… There is arrogance, the sufficiency of “it’s not like that,” and then there is the “pocket” God, not only about creation, so many decisions, so many contradictions (…) depend on money. Today, in Cartagena, I started in a part, let’s call it poor, of Cartagena. The other part, the touristic side, luxury, luxury without moral measure… but those who go there don’t realize this, or the socio-political analysts don’t realize… ‘man is stupid,’ the Bible said. It’s like that: when you don’t want to see, you don’t see. You just look in another direction. And of North Korea, I’ll tell the truth, I don’t understand. Truly, I don’t understand that world of geopolitics. It’s very tough for me. But I believe that what I see, there is a struggle of interests that don’t escape me, I truly can’t explain… but the other important thing: we don’t take awareness. Think to Cartagena today. Is this unjust. Can we take awareness? This is what comes to me. Thanks.
Valentina Alazraki, Noticieros Televisa: I’m sorry. Holy Father, every time you meet with youth in any part of the world you always tell them: ‘Don’t let yourselves be robbed of hope, don’t let yourselves be robbed of the future.’ Unfortunately, in the United States they have abolished the law of the “dreamers.” They speak of 800,000 youth: Mexicans, Colombians, from many countries. Do you think that with the abolition of this law the youth lose joy, hope and their future? And, after, abusing your kindness, could you make a small prayer, a small thought, for all the victims of the earthquake in Mexico and of Hurricane Irma? Thank you.
Pope Francis: I have heard of this law. I have not been able to read the articles, how the decision was made. I don’t know it well. Keeping young people away from family is not something that brings good fruit. Every young person has their family. I think that this law, which I think comes not from parliament [sic], but from the executive, if this is the case, which I am not sure, I hope that it will be rethought a little, because I have heard the President of the United States speak as a pro-life man. If he is a good pro-life man, he understands that the family is the cradle of life, and unity must be defended. This is what comes to me. That’s why I’m interested in studying the law well.
Truly, when youth feel, in general, whether in this case or another, exploited, in the end they feel that they have no hope. And who steals it from them? Drugs, other dependencies, suicide…youth suicide is very strong and comes when they are taken out from their roots. Uprooted young people today ask for help, and this is why I insist so much on dialogue between the elderly and the youth. That they talk to their parents, but (also) the elderly. Because the roots are there…[inaudible] to avoid the conflicts that can happen with the nearest roots, with the parents. But today’s youth need to rediscover their roots. Anything that goes against the root robs them of hope. I don’t know if I answered, more or less.
Alazraki: They can be deported from the United States…
Pope Francis: Eh, yes, the lose a root. But truthfully, on this law I don’t want to express myself, because I have not read it and I don’t like to talk about something I don’t understand.
And then, Valentina is Mexican, and Mexico has suffered a lot. I ask everyone for solidarity with the dean (Editor’s note: a reference to the journalist, who is a veteran reporter and on friendly terms with the Pope) and a prayer for the country. Thank you.
Greg Burke: Thank you, Holy Father. Now, Fausto Gasparroni from ANSA.
Fausto Gasparroni: Holiness, in the name of the Italian group, I’d like to pose you a question about the issue of immigrants, particularly about what the Italian Church has recently expressed, let’s say, a sort of comprehension about the new policy of the government of restricting the exit from Libya in boats. It has been written also that about this you had a meeting with the President of the Council, Gentiloni. We’d like to know if effectively in this meeting this topic was spoken about and especially what you think of this policy of closing the exits, considering also the fact that after the immigrants that stay in Libya, as has also been documented by investigations, live in inhuman conditions, in very, very precarious conditions. Thanks.
Pope Francis: The meeting with Minister Gentiloni was a personal meeting and not about that topic. It was before this issue, which came out later, some weeks later. Almost a month later. (It was) before this issue. Secondly, I feel the duty and gratitude toward Italy and Greece because they opened their hearts to immigrants, but it’s not enough to open the heart. The problem of the immigrant is: first an ever open heart, it’s also a commandment of God, no? “Receive them, because you have been a slave in Egypt.” But a government must manage that problem with the virtue proper of a governor: prudence. What does that mean? First: How many places do I have? Second: Not only to receive… (but to) integrate, integrate. I’ve seen examples, here in Italy, of precious integrations. I went to Roma Tre University and three students asked me questions. One was the last one. I looked at her and said, “I know that face.” It was one who, less than a year earlier, had come from Lesbos with me in the plane. She learned the language, is studying biology. They validated her classes and she continued. She learned the language. This is called integrating. On another flight, I think when we were coming back from Sweden, I spoke about the policy of integration of Sweden as a model. But also Sweden said prudently: this number I cannot do. Because there exists the danger of no integration. Third: it’s a humanitarian issue. Humanity takes awareness of these concentration camps, the conditions, the desert… I’ve seen photographs. First of the exploiters. The Italian government gives me the impression that it is doing everything, in humanitarian work, to resolve the problem that it cannot assume. Heart always open, prudence, integration, humanitarian closeness.
And there is a final thing that I want to say, above all for Africa There is a motto, a principle in our collective consciousness: Africa must be exploited. Today in Cartagena we saw an example of human exploitation, in any case. A chief of government said a truth about this: those who flee from war are another problem, but there are many who flee from hunger. Let us invest there so that it may grow, but in the collective consciousness there is the issue that when the developed nations go to Africa it’s to exploit it.
Africa is a friend and must be helped to grow. Today, other problems of war go in another direction. I don’t know if I clarified with this.
Xavier Le Normand (iMedia): Holy Father, today you spoke in the Angelus, you asked that all kinds of violence in political life be rejected. Thursday, after Mass in Bogota, you greeted five Venezuelan bishops. We all know that the Holy See is very committed to a dialogue with this country. For many months you have asked for an end to all violence. But President Maduro, on one hand, has many violent words against the bishops, and on the other hand says that he is with Pope Francis. Would it not be possible to have stronger and perhaps clearer words? Thank you.
Pope Francis: I think that the Holy See has spoken strongly and clearly. What President Maduro says, he can explain. I don’t know what he has in his mind, but the Holy See has done a lot, it sent there – with the working group of four ex-presidents there – it has sent a first-level nuncio. After speaking with the people, it spoke publicly. Many times in the Angelus I have spoken about the situation, always looking for an exit, helping, offering help to get out. It seems that it’s a very hard thing, and the most painful is the humanitarian problem, the many people who escape or suffer…we must help to resolve it in anyway (possible). I think the UN must also make itself heard there to help.
Greg Burke: Thank you, Holiness. I think we have to go.
Pope Francis: For the turbulence? They say there is some turbulence and we need to go. Many thanks for your work. And once more I’d like to thank the example of the Colombian people. I would like to conclude with an image. What most struck me about the Colombians in the four cities was the people in the streets, greeting me. What must struck me is that the father, mother, raised up their children to help them see the Pope and so the Pope could bless them, as if saying, ‘This is my treasure, this is my hope. This is my future.’ I believe you. This struck me. The tenderness. The eyes of those fathers, of those mothers. Precious, precious. This is a symbol, a symbol of hope, of future. A people that is capable of having children and then shows them to you, make them see as well, as if saying, ‘This is my treasure,’ is a people that has hope and future. Many thanks.
[…]
ONE common interpretation of those anomalies signaled, permitted, and enabled over the past 11 years is as an effort to align the Church within the One World Order. The Church of the Gesu event would be part of this overall abdication.
But, might ANOTHER interpretation be that the Synodality thing is a strategy to re-paradigm the apostolic Church as an open-door alternative more or less parallel to the more secularist One World Order? Is Synodality intended as an Anglican-ish sort of Via Media between the old-hat Church and ubiquitous social engineering under the dangerous alliance of democracy and ethical relativism?
The Anglican VIA MEDIA disinterred?
The last straw in NEWMAN’s conversion from the pretended Via Media came when the Anglican divines proposed a bishopric in Jerusalem–and didn’t care much that the targeted roundtable of Greek Orthodox, Jewish converts (actually, “not half a dozen”) and others were not at all on the same page. Wrote Newman: “The Anglican Church might have the Apostolic succession, as had the Monophysites; but such acts as were in progress led me to the gravest suspicion, not that it would soon cease to be a Church, but that it had never been a Church all along” (Apologia pro Vita Sua, Part V).
QUESTION: If the poorly defined and self-validating Synod on Synodality (say what?) is intended as a “walking together” Via Media standing apart from the One World Order (rather than lockstep within), then even this has been sabotaged. And, the disintegrated Anglican precedent is instructive, at least to backwardist non-amnesiacs.
The threatening “novelty” today is not against the triune nature of the Divinity as at Nicaea, but rather against the nature of Man–as now at the “rainbow world” Church of the Gesu.
Understandably so. I can only imagine what they have planned.
To find what might be planned—or maybe only blundered—the thing to watch closely is the June 2025 recommendations from Study Group #9: “Theological criteria and synodal methodologies for shared discernment of controversial doctrinal [!], pastoral [!] , and ethical [!] issues.”
This in NOT to impugn Study Group #9 or any of its members, but rather to notice how the phrasing of some truths too often can inadvertently undermine other unmentioned truths.
In today’s graffiti culture, perhaps “theological” perspectives can be cautionary and open to other roundtable perspectives, such as the “anthropological” or even “biological” or meme-ological! That is, how to possibly fine-tune the sweeping study group stuff, but without giving to the Cardinal Radcliffes and Fr. Martins of the world an opening for proclaiming, say, LGBTQ exemptions from Veritatis Splendor? Or maybe a ordained deadconesses (etc.?) within a unisex priesthood? Or maybe this within a hermaphrodite (c)hurch [!]…as in no clear synodal distinction between the accountability[!] of the ordained Successors of the Apostles[!] as compared to the rest of us who are accountable to only the, yes, “universal call to holiness.”
Real shepherds don’t lead from behind.
I’m getting fed up with much of what comes out of this apostate Vatican. If you want a good reason for Catholics disaffiliating from the Church (and not to be confused with the faith as taught in the Catechism), then look at this pontificate.
In a nutshell, well said.
My question is : why don’t the shepherds of the Church support those who have left this lifestyle choice – ex homosexuals?
Or maybe some shepherds have turned into wolves?
Would the Vatican permit a group of self-proclaimed Satanists pass through the Jubilee Doors of St. Peter’s if they applied for such passage as other groups have done? Don’t be surprised by their answer.
Well, at one of the World Youth Days Francis admonished the young to “learn” from atheists. And he wasn’t talking about studying their fallacies of logic. He was talking about finding in them a source of wisdom.
Cardinal Zuppi (thought to be a “next pope” by many) and Archbishop Fisichella, and of course the Pontiff Francis, are men who are morally polluted, and who live to pollute the Catholic Church.
These men are witch-doctors of the apostasy.
Todos! Todos! Todos! are welcome to repent.
New Ways Ministry is the culture of death versus The Way, Truth and Life of Christ. Our earthly pilgrimage can choose the fruitless death of sin or the eternal life of union with the Triune God. We have no power to change the Perfect Word of God.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19
Interesting.
Bergoglio’s papacy is certainly innovative. I don’t ever recall seeing any other parishes do jubilees that celebrate mortal sins.
Now, since my main sin of adulthood has been to appreciate women a tad *too* much, this gay jubilation doesn’t do it for me. At all.
But if they celebrate, say, gluttony, or maybe sloth, I’ll be all over that.
I think I’ll talk to my pastor this weekend and see if we could have a parish celebration of the sin of gluttony some time soon.
Judging from his waistline, I daresay he might be agreeable.
Bergoglio certainly has changed things in the Church!
I am all in on the gluttony and sloth celebrations. Where do I sign up? Who’s bringing the food???? Not me… can’t go to the trouble – too busy doom scrolling on X.
Kate!
No worries! Remember, the party will be in honor of sloth too! So no one has to worry about working on food prep!
We’ll have it catered.
And we’ll make sure Bergoglio’s mug is on all the cakes!
“Lord, give me a love that conquers what prevents me from being”. Standard of the Gionata [Jonathan] Project.
La Tenda Gionata is the Jubilee arm of the Gionata Project org that acknowledges, promotes homosexuality. To be or not to be in Shakespearean. A distant Philip Morris’ Virginia Slims ad acclaimed young women, ‘You’ve come a long way baby’. Gays have indeed come an aeon away from the 2000 Jubilee. But those were the days of Pope John Paul II and CDF prefect Cdl Joseph Ratzinger. Thereafter Pope Benedict XVI and prefect Cdl Gerhard Muller. Then a sea change. 2013 and Pope Francis, who prophesied a new age, new epoch, a leap forward in time from the mustiness of old spaces, of doctrines destined for the Vat museum. We’ve arrived. Like it or not. A true and blue age of self discovery, better yet self invention. Italy’s bishops are led by Cdl Matteo Zuppi, head of social justice pro homosexual Sant’Egidio movement. May 2018, Cdl Zuppi happily contributed an essay to the Italian translation of Fr James Martin SJ’s homosexual manifesto Building a Bridge .
Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, said the news touched his heart ‘deeply’ as he remembered the resistance to homosexuality in Rome during the 2000 jubilee. Liberation. From where and from who? The Church of old time religion. From Jesus Christ its founder. Ironically, prophetically, dastardly however we may describe it, the Jesuit occupied Roman Church of the Gesù is headquarters for the abomination, players hesitant as waves start to ruffle.
Cdl Gerhard Muller, auspicious CDF commander persecuted finally summarily dispatched by Francis, noted for his reserve and great respect of authority has now spoken out vociferously as noted by essayist, NCReg editor Edward Pentin. Alarmed? Recalled again is the boyhood conviction formed on the mean streets of South Brooklyn, that if there were ever the moment that homosexuality were presumed a good by the Catholic Church, it would signal the onset of the reign of the Antichrist.
Where in South Brooklyn, Fr. Morello? I grew up in St. Saviour’s parish.
Deacon Sacred Heart and Saint Stephen’s adjacent to Red Hook. Later Our Lady of Angels.
Father, we were neighbors. I know two guys now in their mid 70’s who attended OLA in Bay Ridge.
By that time Deacon Peitler I was searching my vocation in life and was rarely in Brooklyn. Although we’re already friends.
Where in the revealed truths of our faith is there anticipation of a liberation, a joyous freedom, not from the ravages of sin, rather from the alleged rigidness, the sinfulness of holding fast to that revealed doctrine? Where does a pontiff in this conceived age of Aquarius find the rationale to condemn trans sex mutilation, same sex disorder, a sin antithetical to Christ and testimony of his Apostles, divorce and remarriage outside the Church.
Nevertheless, one who engages with and promotes its advocates and victims into a unified identification with Catholic Christianity absent of the requirement of recognition of that sin, the need for confession and repentance. That coupled with the duplicitous doctrine that conscience rather than revelation, hardship rather than heroic virtue rules? Is it that Mankind, the whole of Christianity required patience for two millennia for this new paradigmatic news to be revealed? Christ alone has revealed the truth. This new gospel is permitted to test the faithful because of widespread disobedience. Stand fast with his Gospel.
What would be positive if all these LGBQT+ organizations explained what they mean by “support”, virtually all those I am aware of, have had contact and discussions with it is complete approval and support of their life-style choice, that means “support”. So, if I say “I love you a a child of God, but dont approve of your lifestyle and do not believe it is truly Christian”, the answer is I hate, I don’t like and I don’t support. So I am the villan, the hater, yet I am the one called names, despised and verbally attacked in all manner of negative terms. So what do these groups, these people want from me and those like me who believe the chosen lifestyle they want me to “support” is antithetical and against Church and Christ teaching.
Giving voice to the voiceless was a daily mission of Jesus, his apostles, and his disciples.
Jesus brought the hope of salvation to the sinful by his death and resurrection. Let’s not confuse sin to being voiceless.
Gays voiceless? Really?
Where have you been?
You mean the “love” that does not know how to shut the hell up? Scripture promised that (unrepentant) homosexuals will have no voice much less place in the Kingdom of Heaven … and the Church is meant to be the seed and promise of that kingdom. The role of the Supreme Pontiff is to be Heaven’s ambassador on earth, not a forked tongue power player for the acclaim of the world.
It seems to my simple mind that there is good and there is evil. Christ suffered and died so that all may gain eternal life, if so desired. To accept Christ requires conversion, a conscious rejection of a sinful lifestyle. Conversion is the both the key and the door to salvation.
This attempt to justify sinful, aberrant lifestyles is nothing more than an overt effort to force Almighty God to accept the sin and grant eternal salvation to the unrepentant.
The Lord God blasted two ancient cities from the face of the Earth for the LGBTQ+ sins being flaunted within them.
I don’t see God changing his just decrees and His unalterable Word.
This pope is a heretic, as are those sycophant clerics who follow him. The real problem within Holy Mother Church is an epidemic of cowardice amongst the Cardinals and Bishops.
Few say anything against this heretic for fear of losing their titles and positions of power and prestige.
The fence-sitters are plenty. And our Lord God has made abundantly clear how he feels about the wishy-washy uncommitted.
Time is running out for them. Even so, I truly expect the cowardly and the damned to do nothing as the antichrist continues his ascendancy. For Holy Mother Church, the worst is still to come.
Time to discard the notion that the LGBetc movement represents the voiceless.
It’s a well-oiled, powerful and very determined political lobby.
The Papacy of Francis has revealed many antagonisms in the Catholic Church which have been successfully crushed during Pope (now St.) John Paul 11. But as the Bibles clearly states it that we should pray much as even the notable chosen ones will crumble before the end of times. Now our venerated saints who shed even their blood for upholding the truth are in great agony of the current leadership of the church. Mat.7:1 warns us of judging others but again the same gospel teaches us to warn a neighbour who goes astray when one refuses then take the issue to other followers and when again one refuses to forego the warned acts, should be treated as a tax collector.
In the same category, those advocating for LGBT cause without calling upon them to return to the right cause should be excommunicated altogether to stay with a Biblical leaning church.
And a refrain of a narcissist obsessed with trying to prove superior love and magnanimity than Our Lord oblivious to consequences.
There is no such thing as an “LGBT Catholic”. One cannot embrace both sin and Catholic teaching.
LGBTQ Catholics? Is that not an oxymoron? Or, do we use that phrase to settle the powerful waters of turmoil and castigation?
The Bible addresses homosexuality in the Old and New Testaments. Genesis 19: The story of Sodom and Gomorrah.Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman.” The holy books identify the sin and what not to do, but not how to address it and how to “eliminate” it.
I have Gay friends. How does a Catholic handle that relationship? We say that Gays are not born with this “dysphoria”, they choose that lifestyle.
I have asked, “why would a person CHOOSE a lifestyle that is one of misery and rejection of society?”
“We say that Gays are not born with this “dysphoria”, they choose that lifestyle. I have asked, “why would a person CHOOSE a lifestyle that is one of misery and rejection of society?”
Your posts are like a broken record at this point. You keep repeating this every time CWR pu wishes an article addressing homosexuality. Stop defending the indefensible here. Romans 1 outlines the moral descent that occurs when people choose to reject God. It’s a series of choices. Gay people chose their lifestyle because light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.
The Church will always be resistance to homosexuality as well as all the other sexual sins in society. It is long past time that the LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in the Church to be honest and tell these people that it is a sin and let the Church help you turn from sin.
We all know that this is just politics pushing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ sexual activity as normal but that will never happen because it is against God’s natural law.
And, under Veritatis Splendor, the natural law is now explicitly incorporated into the Magisterium of the Church.
“This is the first time, in fact, that the Magisterium of the Church [!] has set forth in detail the fundamental elements of this [‘moral’] teaching, and presented the principles for the pastoral discernment necessary in practical and cultural situations which are complex and even crucial” (n. 115)” And, “The Church is no way the author or the arbiter [!] of this [‘moral’] norm” (n. 95).
Welcome to the clericalist deception of formally denying nothing while signaling and accommodating everything.