Pope Francis authorizes his clergy to bless the abominable
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Beyond Lot’s Tent (Wikipedia)
The Vatican has authorized blessing for the abominable as the Associated Press reported the following:
December 19, 2023
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday, a radical shift in policy that aimed at making the church more inclusive while maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage.
But while the Vatican statement was heralded by some as a step toward breaking down discrimination in the Catholic Church, some LGBTQ+ advocates warned it underscored the church’s idea that gay couples remain inferior to heterosexual partnerships.
The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if the blessings weren’t confused with the ritual of marriage. https://apnews.com/article/vatican-lgbtq-pope-bfa5b71fa79055626e362936e739d1d8
This was biblically a wrong move. NewsMax reported the following:
Gerald Murray of the Archdiocese of New York told Newsmax on Monday that Pope Francis’ new document that allows for church blessings of same-sex couples is “absurd” and “horrific.”
“It’s the groundwork for redefining the nature of sin because basically the church has always said that sex outside of marriage is sinful, so all homosexual activity is sinful,” Murray told “The Chris Salcedo Show.” “The document also talks about people who are in invalid second marriages, the church says, according to the words of Christ, that is adultery. So now the church is saying that your behavior is gravely sinful, offensive to God, but the church should bless you. And what does a blessing mean? It means that we ask God to favor you in that relationship. This is absurd. This is a horrific document. It is revolutionary.
“All kinds of distinctions were made [in the document] saying well, this isn’t blessing it in view of it being recognized as a marriage. Fine, that’s what the church says. But you know exactly what’s going to happen. The document that says people seeking the blessings shouldn’t get dressed up in wedding garments … and come the same day as they have their civil ceremony. Well, people are going to do what they want, and this is really very upsetting. This is not how the Catholic Church has ever conducted himself, and I’m very upset by what the pope has done.” https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/gerald-murray-pope-francis-same-sex/2023/12/18/id/1146407/
Blessing of sin is a form of approving it, and that should not be.
As far as the priest’s comments about how the Roman Catholic Church is conducting itself, the original catholic church did not compromise on this or many other matters that the Church of Rome has (for documented evidence, check out the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).
In addition to being condemned in the Old and New Testaments, early Christian/catholic leaders, including the second century Polycarp of Smyrna and Melito of Sardis condemned illicit sexual behaviors including homosexuality:
Knowing, then, that “God is not mocked,” we ought to walk worthy of His commandment and glory …For it is well that they should be cut off from the lusts that are in the world, since “every lust warreth against the spirit; ” and “neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God,” nor those who do things inconsistent and unbecoming (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians, Chapter V. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885).
53. But in addition to this there were to be found among men many things still more monstrous and terrifying and brutal: father cohabits with his child, and son and with his mother, and brother with sister, and male with male, and each man lusting after the wife of his neighbor. (Melito’s Homily on the Passover)
Being opposed to the practices of homosexuality is not a new idea.
Going back to the NewsMax article, it also had:
Murray said the document claims it is an “innovation,” or a “development of the church’s teaching,” but he contended “that is a specious claim.”
“It’s an innovation, meaning it’s something new that was never there before,” he said. “But it’s not a development of the church’s teaching; it’s a contradiction and a corruption of that teaching.
“Here I am, I’m a parish priest, and I give a class on Catholic morality, and I say that homosexual activity is immoral and people shouldn’t do it; well at the end of the class if two men come up to me and say, ‘Well, you know, Father, I heard what you said, but I don’t agree with that. Neither does my partner, and we’re married civilly, and we’d like you to bless our relationship, and by the way, Pope Francis said you should bless our relationship,’ this is the contradiction that we’re living.” https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/gerald-murray-pope-francis-same-sex/2023/12/18/id/1146407/
As far as LGBTQ+ matters, condoning such, and innovations, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, … 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, …
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, …
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1: 18,22, 24 26-32)
The word of God warns against “inventors of evil things” and an innovation of blessing of sin would be one.
The Bible also warns:
20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20-21)
The above pretty well sums up those pushing and/or blessing aspects of the LGBTQ+ agenda.
Notice that the Hebrew scriptures, aka the Old Testament, while not using the term homosexual, clearly condemn the LGBTQ+ practices:
22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)
13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. (Leviticus 20:13)
5 A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 22:5)
The Bible clearly condemns homosexuality as well as cross-dressing.
Let’s also look a something in the Greek scriptures, aka the New Testament:
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
The New Testament warned:
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV).
Those pushing the LGBTQ+ agenda are both deceived and deceivers.
The Book of Genesis shows:
24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25)
And why did it happen?
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 7)
Homosexuality is a form of sexual immorality that involves going after “strange flesh.”
Why mention this in the 21st century?
Because God turned:
6…the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly (2 Peter 2:6)
Thus, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were to serve as an example to those who would live as they did. Yet despite biblical warnings, many modern leaders in the West are endorsing so-called homosexual “rights” and “same-sex marriage.” The Bible, however, warns about such leaders:
12…Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths. (Isaiah 3:12)
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed (Isaiah 9:16).
So, leaders that ignore what the Bible teaches are leading others toward destruction.
The LGBTQ+ agenda is opposed to God, His statutes, His judgements, His commandments, and even His creation. It is destructive and sinful.
Paul also warned that false teachers, “by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18).
Do not fall for those who use twisted, anti-biblical logic.
Same-sex relations are an abomination according to the word of God and should not be blessed.
Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There are also videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’, Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children, Disney’s abominable promotions!, USA pushing gender confusion, and New Transgender Study.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? A short video is available titled: Gay Gene? Born That Way?
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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