Catholic Bishop encourages gays and lesbians to come back to church

[CatholicEdHead]

This is an encouraging sign from the Catholic church middle managment. In west Tennessee, the Bishop there is encouraging welcoming homosexuals more into the church and not spurn them as seems to be the case upper Vatican church management.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20050602.htm

The full bishop address will be posted soon on the diocese' web site.
http://cdom.org/wtc/wtncatholic_splash.htm


Gay and lesbian Catholics should be welcomed in church, says bishop

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (CNS) -- Memphis Bishop J. Terry Steib, writing in a column for his diocesan newspaper, urged Catholics in his diocese to welcome gay and lesbian Catholics into the church. The bishop said he recently met with gay and lesbian Catholics who describe their Catholicism as "at the core of who they are," but who also said they are unsure of their place in church. He also met with parents of gay and lesbian Catholics who expressed concern that their children were unwelcome at church and said they see their children's loneliness "as no one else sees it." The bishop wrote in the May 19 issue of The West Tennessee Catholic, "As I listened, I could not help wondering: How deep is our river of faith if we are not actively working to be sure that all are welcome in their own home -- the home given to each of us when we became members of God's family through baptism?" The bishop urged Catholics to realize they are "called to be church to one another, to be God's family to one another," and in that role they need to "help each other grow into the home we will share in heaven."

[whistle]

1. Why, so G&Ls can be further humiliated, singled out and repeatedly

....persecuted as lost sheep from God's fold? Hey, there are plenty of Christian churches which do not treat gays and lesbians or leave people with varied points of view about sexual orientation in peace as a matter between them and God. Here is a link to just one that have found helpful and supportive to me for many years:

<link> http://www.unityworldhq.org/

[EFerrari]

2. Hey -- are these those jihadis?

:)

[whistle]

6. Not hardly......

[EFerrari]

9. Sure?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/04/08/DDG27BCFLG1.DTL

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. I'm afraid that next week the headline will read "Bishop defrocked"

[CatholicEdHead]

5. You are probably correct

that there will be a "correction" coming for the bishop from higher levels.

Though I doubt a defrocking will happen just because of this.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. Well, at least sent to Rome for "counseling"

[katinmn]

17. shortly after the new pope came in he clamped down on

priests who welcomed gays.

Remember the sash incident?

[Warpy]

4. For WHAT? To be held up as examples of SIN

if they don't live sexless lives?

Why the HELL would any self respecting gay or lesbian go there?

For that matter, why would any WOMAN still go?

[njdemocrat106]

12. Actually, I'm both

Gay and Catholic, that is. I've never once heard during Mass anything said against homosexuality during my years of going to church. Anti-abortion sermons, on the other hand...

[FreedomAngel82]

8. This last part gives away his mission with this

<"As I listened, I could not help wondering: How deep is our river of faith if we are not actively working to be sure that all are welcome in their own home -- the home given to each of us when we became members of God's family through baptism?" The bishop urged Catholics to realize they are "called to be church to one another, to be God's family to one another," and in that role they need to "help each other grow into the home we will share in heaven.">

He just wants to convert them from being gay and to being like him and the others.

[cap]

13. no... I think he wanted a reconciliation

and, if homosexuality is a sin, well, it's a sin just like the rest of them. We confess, we forgive, we get communion and we backslide and go out and do it again...just like anything else.

[UrbScotty]

10. As a Catholic, I would like to say...

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, Bishop Steib!

[demosincebirth]

15. My parish in Oakland,

has always welcomed Gays and Lesbians. Its no big deal here.

[meg]

11. As a former Catholic I've got to say ...

yeah, right. But thanks for the good thoughts.

[NMMNG]

14. With Pope hardass in command why would any gay or lesbian...

even consider stepping foot in the Catholic church? He's as much as told them they should die and burn in Hell for eternity....

[cap]

19. because there are a number of priests and nuns on the local

level who are working towards acceptance.

[Orsino]

16. "Come back. All is forgiven."

Except for your being heretics cursed by God. But hey, what's a little hate among friends?

It's just not as much fun without you around. Without your motes, we've been forced to notice our own beams, or something.

[arwalden]

18. Well Said.