While the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pursues its jihad against the Affordable Care Act's mandate that health benefit plans must provide birth control benefits without cost sharing, the message from Catholics is coming in clear: The Church is out of touch with Catholic practice and personal belief regarding birth control, divorce, and homosexuality. German and Swiss bishops are the first to report on the results of the Vatican-mandated survey of parishioners in preparation for a Bishops Synod regarding the Church's family teaching and pastoral work. - GWC
Synod on family surveys: German, Swiss Catholics reject teachings on marriage, sexuality | National Catholic Reporter:
Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and many bishops around the world have considered the status of divorced and civilly remarried Catholics a pressing pastoral problem; it is one of the problems Pope Francis has said is a matter to be considered at the synod.'via Blog this'
Both the German bishops' and the Swiss bishops' summaries said Catholics in their countries believe the church is unmerciful to Catholics whose first marriages have failed.
"Divorce and remarrying frequently lead to a process of becoming distant from the church or of widening the existing gap," the German bishops reported. "Many no longer wish to be associated with an institution which they regard as unforgiving."
Both the German and Swiss bishops' surveys found the vast majority of Catholics reject or simply ignore church teaching that every sexual act between a husband and wife should be open to the transmission of life, therefore ruling out the use of artificial contraceptives.
The Swiss bishops said that "approximately 60 percent of participants in the consultation support the recognition of and a church blessing for homosexual couples," though the responses showed "no consensus, but rather a polarization," with strong negative reactions.
While Catholic teaching insists homosexual people should not be discriminated against, it holds that homosexual acts are always immoral and that marriage can only be a union between one man and one woman.
The German bishops said Catholics in their country, which has recognized "civil partnerships" of same-sex couples since 2000, largely "regard the legal recognition of same-sex civil partnerships and their equal treatment vis-a-vis marriage as a commandment of justice."
No comments:
Post a Comment