re: Much Needed Clarity Regarding the Pope and the Recent Document Regarding Blessings

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I guess that separates your church and mine. If my pastor stood in the pulpit and said,” I’m going to give this gay couple a blessing”, we’d all know what was going on without any documents to explain it.
Then he’d be voted out of the church the same day.

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How bout if your pastor gave a private blessing to a gay couple while telling them (1) it can't be a big ceremony or be confused with a marriage (2) their relationship insofar as it is sexual or romantic is sinful and marriage between a man and a woman is the only moral expression of sexual love and (3) the blessing is meant to ask the Holy Spirit to work in their lives so that they may turn their lives over to God?

Would you boot him then?

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I don't exactly understand what you're asking, but no rites are allowed to gay couples as a couple. They are allowed a blessing that they've always been allowed: basically the individuals in the couple but not the union of the couple (because the church still teaches that homosexual unions are sinful). This document just lines out the boundaries. The "new" blessing (that's not really new) is an informal blessing that explicitly does not bless their homosexual union. it's just asking the Holy Spirit to work in their lives where possible.

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I'm asking: "how the frick is this different then from what was always taking place in the church?" Every person can be blessed. At least I thought. So what changed causing this big thing by the pope?

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I'm asking: "how the frick is this different then from what was always taking place in the church?" Every person can be blessed. At least I thought. So what changed causing this big thing by the pope?

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A lot of priests share your opinion. Nothing did change. What does a Catholic do if they are in a state of sin when they are in the communion line? They get a blessing. Sinners can and do receive blessings all the time.

I wrote about this elsewhere, but the document was, in part, drafted in response to a bunch of German bishops who are pushing for formal liturgical blessings for same sex couples. This document came out and told them they can't do that. Basically, they are limited to the common, informal, "pastoral" blessings.

But the MSM got ahold of it and made it sound like the Pope was pushing for gay marriage, and all the Catholic-haters lapped it up.

born and raised catholic here.wake up and see for yourself

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How bout if your pastor gave a private blessing to a gay couple while telling them (1) it can't be a big ceremony or be confused with a marriage (2) their relationship insofar as it is sexual or romantic is sinful and marriage between a man and a woman is the only moral expression of sexual love and (3) the blessing is meant to ask the Holy Spirit to work in their lives so that they may turn their lives over to God?

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My Pastor would never even entertain an idea like this.

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My Pastor would never even entertain an idea like this.

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You must not be an Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist etc. The mainline southern protestant churches may be able to hold the line for a while longer.

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You must not be an Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist etc.

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I’m not. And even if Baptists churches around us started to change, my present church wouldn’t. And if it ever did, I’d leave.

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correct

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That's insane.

You know, I know this thread will devolve into a Catholic versus protestant thread, but that's really not what I'm trying to get across.

Most people on this board understand how full of it the MSM is. But then they trust them to report the truth when it comes to the Catholic Church. I'm just trying to make the point that they lie about the Church like they do about everything else. That's why I posted excerpts from the actual document that clearly show the media narrative was fabricated. I'm not trying to convince all you protestants to join Catholics. I'm not even trying to defend Frances as a whole (I much prefer Benedict). I'm just lining out the lies of the MSM.

Just thought I'd make that point since I know people can't help themselves but to try to recreate the last several hundred years since the Reformation.

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Catholics understood the message. Certain Protestants will never be satisfied with anything any Catholic says or does.

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Apparently Christie, who is Catholic didn’t.