A major problem with a lot of Catholics in the Church today is that they don't really know what it is that they are supposed to believe, or they know and they think it's quite acceptable to pick and choose for themselves.
Take Josie Pegani, for example, a woman who to me seems quite likeable and smart from what I've heard from her on the radio, who today on NewsTalkZB identified herself as Catholic. During a recent Sunday at Mass, she said she heard the Bishop's Letter to Generation Y on Marriage being read out, and she found herself quite cross by it.
"We are a broad church", she said, thus implying that it's ok for Catholics to think that same-sex marriage is fine. But the "broad church" is Anglican, not Catholic.
Don't you believe the Pope talks directly to God, quipped Sean Plunkett to her. That would have been a perfect teaching moment to say that the Pope, when teaching on faith and morals, speaks for God. And on marriage, the Pope has said many times that marriage is between a man and a woman... whoops!
The other night on NewsTalkZB, Pam Corkery said she was Catholic as well and fully supported same-sex marriage.
Megan Hands, NZ Policy Chair of the Young Nats, also Catholic and clueless. She wrote, on a guest post on Kiwiblog a couple of days ago:
Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the Catholic faith at this time, has repeatedly said the marriage can only be between a man and a woman. As an example, he said early early this year:
However, if you want to consider yourself Catholic, it's very important to find out what the Church (through the Pope and the Bishops and the Magisterium) has to say about about your faith.
Pope Benedict XVI said recently of Judas, who betrayed Our Lord:
Don't say you are Catholic and then support same-sex marriage, even though you know the the Church doesn't support it. Don't betray Our Lord in this way. Either find out what it is the Church says you are supposed to believe and believe it and proclaim it, or do the honest thing and leave if you cannot accept it! Be Catholic or be not, do not pretend, because as the Holy Father says, falsehood is mark of the devil.
Take Josie Pegani, for example, a woman who to me seems quite likeable and smart from what I've heard from her on the radio, who today on NewsTalkZB identified herself as Catholic. During a recent Sunday at Mass, she said she heard the Bishop's Letter to Generation Y on Marriage being read out, and she found herself quite cross by it.
"We are a broad church", she said, thus implying that it's ok for Catholics to think that same-sex marriage is fine. But the "broad church" is Anglican, not Catholic.
Don't you believe the Pope talks directly to God, quipped Sean Plunkett to her. That would have been a perfect teaching moment to say that the Pope, when teaching on faith and morals, speaks for God. And on marriage, the Pope has said many times that marriage is between a man and a woman... whoops!
The other night on NewsTalkZB, Pam Corkery said she was Catholic as well and fully supported same-sex marriage.
Megan Hands, NZ Policy Chair of the Young Nats, also Catholic and clueless. She wrote, on a guest post on Kiwiblog a couple of days ago:
Marriage is about life-long love and commitment. It is the foundation of a family and about bringing two families together. It is not something that should be entered into lightly. It is the pinnacle of recognising your relationship in a way that is intimate yet deliberately public.
Nothing about life-long commitment, love, the joining or two families is exclusively heterosexual. Under the current law, because I am heterosexual I can choose to either recognise my relationship in law under the civil union legislation, or I can choose to get married. Friends in same sex relationships cannot choose to enter into a marriage in the same way that I can simply because they are gay.
But you’re Catholic you say?
The Catholic faith teaches us to love thy neighbour as yourself or do unto others as you would have them do unto you; to be tolerant and accepting; and that God will be the judge of our actions rather than our fellow men on earth.
Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the Catholic faith at this time, has repeatedly said the marriage can only be between a man and a woman. As an example, he said early early this year:
[P]ride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself.The above, of course, led to worldwide condemnation that the Holy Father had said that gay marriage threatened the future of humanity. Which is the danger with being Catholic and proclaiming the faith - it's counter-cultural. We are going to get jumped on just for speaking the truth. Which is probably why so many Catholics today don't live their faith, it's much easier not to.
However, if you want to consider yourself Catholic, it's very important to find out what the Church (through the Pope and the Bishops and the Magisterium) has to say about about your faith.
Pope Benedict XVI said recently of Judas, who betrayed Our Lord:
"The problem is that Judas did not leave, and his fault is that of falsehood, which is the mark of the devil."
Don't say you are Catholic and then support same-sex marriage, even though you know the the Church doesn't support it. Don't betray Our Lord in this way. Either find out what it is the Church says you are supposed to believe and believe it and proclaim it, or do the honest thing and leave if you cannot accept it! Be Catholic or be not, do not pretend, because as the Holy Father says, falsehood is mark of the devil.