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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pope Francis, flanked by Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, right, talks to journalists during a press conference he held on board the airplane on his way back to the Vatican, at the end of three-day visit to Armenia, Sunday, June 26, 2016.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE >> Pope Francis says gays — and all the other people the church has marginalized, such as the poor and the exploited — deserve an apology.
Francis was asked Sunday en route home from Armenia if he agreed with one of his top advisers, German Cardinal Karl Marx, who told a conference in Dublin in the days after the deadly Orlando gay club attack that the church owes an apology to gays for having marginalized them.
Francis responded with a variation of his famous “Who am I to judge?” comment and a repetition of church teaching that gays must not be discriminated against but treated with respect.
He said some politicized behaviors of the homosexual community can be condemned for being “a bit offensive for others.” But he said: “Someone who has this condition, who has good will and is searching for God, who are we to judge?”
“We must accompany them,” Francis said.
“I think the church must not only apologize … to a gay person it offended, but we must apologize to the poor, to women who have been exploited, to children forced into labor, apologize for having blessed so many weapons” and for having failed to accompany families who faced divorces or experienced other problems.
Francis uttered his “Who am I to judge?” comment during his first airborne press conference in 2013, signaling a new era of acceptance and welcome for gays in the church. Francis followed up by meeting with gay and transgender faithful, and most significantly, by responding to claims that he met with anti-gay marriage campaigner Kim Davis during his U.S. visit. He said the only personal meeting he held in Washington was with his gay former student and his partner.
Despite such overtures, however, many gay Catholics are still waiting for progress after a two-year consultation of the church on family issues failed to chart concrete, new pastoral avenues for them.
It was and has been a horror to sit in St. Anthony’s Church on a Sunday morning and listen to the rant against same sex marriage and abortion. The marginalization extends to women as well as the LGBT community.
Don’t forget now, the church still does and always will not accept gay marriage or condone the gay lifestyle. All the Pope is saying is that it is between you and God to work out. But we must always be a welcoming church because we are all sinners in need of God’s love and healing, mercy and forgiveness!
So where was his apology?
Where’s the Muslim’s community’s apology, maybe Pope Francis must be talking Muslims if he didn’t apologize for the Catholic community.
Pocho – The Muslim community has been doing nothing but denouncing violence. You choose to remain spectacularly ignorant of that.
Where, what and when? hahaha, did the Islamist/Muslimnist denounce their brothers in the MidEast? post links, please
Pocho – Do a 30 second Google search (that seems like too much effort for you, I know, but it’s not that bad) on Muslims denounce violence. There are thousands of hits with speeches, press conferences and writings doing that. Just pick one.
You choose to ignore that because you probably only listen to right wing nut jobs in your echo chamber. No surprise there. I couldn’t care less.
http://www.usnews.com/news/the-report/articles/2015-12-18/yes-moderate-muslims-do-denounce-terrorism-though-the-media-ignores-it
Where’s the Imam’s apologizing? I read the article I don’t see it, you know what maybe my bad reading comprehension is the problem, NOT! Even the Moderate Muslim’s ain’t apologizing reading that article and where’s the apologies from the Radical Islamist? or is that a seperate group of Muslims/Islamists? you crack me up
Always is a long time. Don’t bet on that. As more and more of the people who remain opposed to same sex marriage die off (it’s a generational thing, obviously) and are replaced by people who actually know and love gay people, this too will change. I don’t know any person under 30 who still opposes same sex marriage. Not one.
The church will probably see a path to being less judgmental as it becomes less relevant. It’s a business too.
And that crap about loving the sinner but hating the sin? The church can stuff that. It’s still flat out bigotry.
Maybe it’s best the US have Sharia in place instead of all the Christian values we have here?
oh, yeah, let’s see what Sharia does for the LGBT’s in America let alone the MidEast
Pocho – What does Sharia law have to do with this? The correct answer is nothing.
Don’t you get tired of being afraid?
At least the Pope calls for apologies, where’s the Muslim Leaders expressing the same stance?
Klastri, You have a lot to learn about the Catholic church….please download a copy of our catechism and really learn about our doctrines. There are many up and coming millenials that are yearning for the old ways. your progressive mindset may be a little optimistic.
Are Muslim leaders afraid in calling the same pitch as the Pope? klatri is only condeming one party whens there’s a lot of blame to spread around. hahahahaha
klastri needs to open his mind and not be so one-sided, maybe if he does I could say he has no bias towards a group as he does now. Only wants to condemn one group where there’s more to blame.
Thanks “klastri”. Very accurate and honest comment.
Pocho – I don’t just condemn one party. I condemn hate, ignorance, bigotry and xenophobia. It just so happens that most of those folks are Republicans.
That party has devolved from the party of big ideas to the party of racist imbeciles. It’s a disgrace.
klastri the failed lawyer goes from Muslim love to Republican hate. Nothing new here.
marcus – Thanks for the suggestion but I actually don’t have a lot to learn about it. While I was in law school (Georgetown) and after passing the Bar, I wrote frequently on Canon Law. I still do.
You’re wrong about young people clinging to the past. The problem for bigots is that young people – all of them – know someone who’s gay. They can see with their own eyes that they’re good people. That will ultimately be the undoing of the bigotry surrounding gay folks. People know now that they’re everywhere, and their marriages haven’t caused the sky to fall as they predicted. They aren’t “sinners.” They’re just regular folks.
Klastri, being a Georgetown lawyer means squat to me and brings you no closer to gods law. Truth is not derived from case law. Truth comes only from God. The Pope has never said we are moving toward accepting the gay lifestyle. He is only trying to be like Jesus an gather the people around him so they can learn the real truth and hear it on Sunday’s preached from the pulpit.
klastri, once you start the name calling I know you’ve lost the arguments! hahahahahahaha
Pocho – It must be wonderful to be so easily amused.
marcus – It doesn’t matter if you’ll ever get closer to accepting the “gay lifestyle.” You can stay as closed minded and bigoted against them as you want to be. You have no power, so it doesn’t matter.
You and others your age will be dead at some point, and other, more enlightened people who choose not to judge gay folks will take your place. It’s just a matter of time.
And now the pope lost his marbles too. I guess he does nor care about the Bible any more.
A very welcome message by the pope!
Good idea; I’m sick and tired of being judged.
Criminals feel the same.
The Vatican views the Pope as skating on thin Ice.While the leaders in the Vatican seems to be “Asking” the pope to tone it down, he continues his views opposite of what the Catholic churches beliefs are.
I say give if he continues on this path,he’ll be out of a job within a year. Way to go Pope Francis!
Oh my goodness. “Out of a job?” How exactly does a Pope get fired? Please enlighten us on that unwritten detail in Canon Law.
YOU know the inside politics of the Holy See? Well sure … that makes perfect sense!
Let me guess …. Trump supporter?
The Pope retires, he doesn’t get fired! Come on now
Pope Benedict XVI was the first Pope to retire in about 600 years.
The Pope retires? Yes, you certainly know your facts!
Pope Francis could be the second Pope to retire in 600 years. Why not?
Why would happy people deserve or even need an apology? My Sunday is as gay as can be, and I’ll go on enjoying this happiness. Pope who?
Roman Catholism does not take the Holy Bible literally as God’s Holy Word. Their church tradition teaching takes precedence over Holy Scriptures. This is one of many reasons why Catholics does not know what God says about the “sin of homosexuality.”
Homosexuals and lesbians do not need an apology, they need to repent and call on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved, period. This comes from God’s Word – Bible.
The MidEast has a lot to learn
I think you need to read the Bible and try to understand it and the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. Then you will understand what the Pope is saying is correct. If you read Paul, in Romans– he says some strange things, but his message regarding taking the name of God in vane and using it to judge and persecute others when only God can judge is very meaningful here. In fact you need to read the punishment Paul says that God imposes on such vanity– it will surprise you. Now go read the Bible.
The good news – and it’s VERY good news – is that fewer and fewer people are afraid of your imaginary friend. Younger and better educated people, thankfully, can think on their own without worrying about an unseen fantasy hand punishing them for being who they are. Gay people are born that way. If you believe in your God, that means your God created those people.
They aren’t going to repent. They don’t care what you think about them, and there’s nothing to repent about anyway.
And with regard to the Bible … you might be interested in knowing that there is more than one book out there. You might try reading a few.
Great posts “klastri”. Couldn’t agree with you more.
I appreciate the support. It’s pretty rare on here!
klas, be sure to thank him again about 100 years from now.