Vatican: Gays deserve respect, compassion

This poor soul of a Mexican cardinal, stop and think about what he is saying. Does he honestly believe that someone who is committed [in love] for life to another person of the same sex, can be practicing "a disorder that is intrinsically evil or disordered"? That just doesn't make any Christian sense [or any common sense]. I believe it reflects a lack of understanding of facts that physicians and social scientists have given us in the 20th century about human sexuality. That is why the Bishops and [apparently] Cardinals need to get out of the Middle Ages in their reasoning and begin to accept,as thinking people, what science shows us about gender and sexuality. Let no one forget that in the mid-1940's, the Pope condemned "modernism" [believing any facts supported by scientific studies] as heresy! Let no one forget that Thomas Aquinas [a great "doctor" of the Church] once taught that women were male embryos that had gone awry, and of course the famous condemnation of Galileo is in our history as a church. To talk about "natural law" as the basis of any moral decision must leave heart and liver transplant patients, and anyone who has undergone surgery, in a terrible state of sin. Come on; get real. To ask thinking people to accept something that clearly goes against the proven facts of science in the name of "faith" is both irrational and indicates a lack of theological vigor and scholastic effort. "Faith" is not a suppression of reason and intellect; it should be founded on them. I think it is about time that we hold our so-called religious leaders accountable for their lax and lazy approach to theology in this modern age.

Too little, too late from the ignorant men at the Vatican! The Mexican Cardinal should be forced to resign. He speaks from a narrow and ignorant viewpoint that causes great physical and emotional harm to homosexual persons. The Pope himself should ask for his resignation but we all know that the misogynistic and homophobic Benedict will remain SILENT. None of this is acceptable. These are the true hypocrites of the Church and the damage they do to others can not and must not go unchallenged. They speak out of BOTH sides of their mouths.

Instead of misquoting Saint Paul, that misguided and homophobic cardinal should quote Jesus who said prostitutes will precede pharisees like him into heaven.

So then why not 'avoid every sign of unjust discrimination' and marry homosexuals in the church? Throughout history, many homosexuals have been fathers and (lesbians) mothers to children, and often raise families. Why deny them work benefits, health benefits, rights, responsibilities, stable marriage, the fidelty of marriage vow? God made them too. Created by God.

It is discrimination to not marry homosexuals. Most of the priests and bishops are closeted gays. Why force them to stay dishonest and in the closet, making them dishonest, hypocritical people who are forced to hide who they are? That is not giving them 'respect or sensitivity' either.

Fr. Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, is being hypocritical if he claims Rome gives respect or no discrimination to homosexuals. Also stop Catholic clergy claims that gays are all pedophiles (scapegoating homosexuals) as many heterosexuals are pedophiles too . When will the hierarchy grow up, stop being hypocritical and ignorant and be appropriate to all the community, including homosexuals,

So long as a person ends his life in a state of perfect contrition (sorrow for having offended God because of the forsaken love on the human end) he or she will enter the kingdom. The cardinal's statement on its face is wrong. Since I always criticize the liberals (& rightly so!), I must be fair and criticize the right when they overstep boundaries.

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye and miss the plank in your own?" Also, from my knowledge base, I do believe that St Paul's reference is actually against heterosexuals who turn to homosexuality for lustful reasons.

Barragan was removed from his post at the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry for making similarly outrageos comments about some medical-moral matters. The man does our church far more harm than good. They need to ship him to wherever Cardinal Law is quietly spending his remaining years.

"Gays deserve respect and compassion..."
These words, uttered after actions done with the intent of suppression and exclusion from human and civil rights, are the epitome of hypocrisy. And yet, they are being repeated over and over again while the actions are taken over and over again to no end. Yet, myriads of people continue to place their faith in them. This is what is most incredible of all.

Apparently the "respect and compassion" that the Vatican believes should be at the heart of our actions doesn't extend to basic equal protection under the law, which has been opposed with both ugly words and illegally donated dollars. The Church so far has made its choice to side with Republican right-wing homophobes, exposing the heart of its own fear and hatred. Its only option right now is to publicly repent and do penance, begging for the forgiveness of all GLTB people everywhere. How about large personal contributions by offending priests and bishops to GLTB civil rights causes for a start?

Everytime I think I can live my life without feeling hurt and devastated by the church someone else in the heirarchy comes along and tears my heart out. Since growing into an awareness of my sexual identity and subsequent choices to live with the person I love, faithfully and respectfully, for 23 years, I have tried to ignore the lack of compassion and downright cruelty of the church toward gays. I have had to pursue my desire to know and love God outside of the church because I refuse to suject myself to to this type of emotional and spiritual abuse any longer. I am going forward in my spiritual life, trusting in the love and mercy of God which, I believe, is beyond the confines of the institutional church. Believe me when I say I wish it could be different; this sparation from the church is a true source of anguish for me and so many of my friends. No matter what the hierarchy says, we are not loved or wanted or welcome in the church. How very, very sad.

Cardinal Barragan could be sent by the Holy Father to Tijuana, to work in some orphanage and(litereally) be forced to live a poor and simple life with his fellow countrymen/women. PLEASE, enough of gaybashing, enough of verbal and psychological violence against gay people. Cardinal Barragan should know better. He lived in the Vatican and the Vatican is full of them... please, give me a break and lets be honest for a change. It may help the cause of the gospel - honesty and truth, that is.

“Poor soul”?, “Ignorant men”?, “Ship him”?
All that only because a bishop repeated the Bible words?:

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 6, 9-10

Or maybe you think this are not the words of God…
Alas!, perhaps you know better than St. Paul, so please share your “New and Updated Bible” with the rest of us (your Bible probably will include the HUGE wisdom of the modern men instead the “poor soul” of God)

And by the way while you write the new Bible PLEASE update the 10 Commandments changing the 6th (put “Try not to” instead of “Shall not”) and erasing the 9th, Thanks!!!

Anyone for a little more VATICAN SPIN on the subject?

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17934

And, while we're on this topic, let's see how much "respect and compassion" this woman receives from the USCCB:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17956

I've heard estimates and read estimates that approximately 40% of the clergy, including bishops, archbishops, etc., are GAY, and from the statistics gathered, a large percentage do not appear to be celibate. Is it only OK to be a practicing homosexual if one is a priest? Maybe they have a special exemption or dispensation from the Pope. Is the Pope were to root out all gays in the priesthood, he knows that the remaining few priests would be overwhelmed with work. The Pope knows better. What a travesty!