tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post8918000634458461561..comments2024-02-24T12:12:53.249-05:00Comments on Catholic in Brooklyn: What Really Happened at St. Francis of AssisiCatholic in Brooklynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-21442517322065576292014-07-06T11:26:26.571-04:002014-07-06T11:26:26.571-04:00I understand your concern that people be told the ...I understand your concern that people be told the truth about the sinfulness of their actions. The problem is, we must approach them in a way that they will accept. Just directly condemning sin no longer works in our world. They just turn a deaf ear to that. <br /><br />So what do we do to reach them?Catholic in Brooklynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-2595719073703238292014-07-06T05:13:12.523-04:002014-07-06T05:13:12.523-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.N.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14319122125249787860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-84389104157258920172014-07-06T05:07:09.423-04:002014-07-06T05:07:09.423-04:00We are not, in being an object of sexual desire/or...We are not, in being an object of sexual desire/orientation, nor has God ordered us to live our lives in relationship according to sexual desire/orientation, as that would be in direct violation of God's own commandment regarding lust and the sin of adultery. We are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers...called to be chaste in our thoughts, in our words and in our deeds. God desires that we overcome our disordered inclinations, whatever they may be, so that we are not led into temptation, but become transformed through Salvational Love, God's Gift of Grace and Mercy. It is scandalous that so many refuse to tell the truth; that all persons have the inherent right to authentic Love, a Love that respects the inherent Dignity of all persons, in private and in public; any act, including any sexual act that does not respect our inherent Dignity as a son or daughter, is not an act of Love. N.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14319122125249787860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-13442555257987227882014-07-04T16:10:46.664-04:002014-07-04T16:10:46.664-04:00Emir, I ask you sincerely to forgive me. I have n...Emir, I ask you sincerely to forgive me. I have not given your comments the attention they deserve, and I apologize. I understand your concern, and you are absolutely right that homosexuality is a big problem in the Church. Voris is right in one thing when he says that homosexuality is the basis for the sex abuse scandal. There can be no doubt of that. <br /><br />Homosexuality has become and probably will become an even bigger problem because society no longer views it as deviant behavior. As I have mentioned, in the past homosexuals could blame the pain in their lives on society because they were persecuted and ostracized. Now that this is no longer true, they have to find someone else to blame for their pain. There is only one group of people who still believe that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered, and that is the Catholic Church. Despite those who want that teaching to be changed, you and I know it cannot and never will be changed. This now makes the Catholic Church the number one enemy of homosexuals. <br /><br />The more we condemn them with our words and actions, the more excuse they will have to attack us. I thought the Mass at St. Francis was very beautiful because it was such a subtle and gentle call for gays to put aside their prejudices and come home. No, there were no words of condemnation, no reminders that they are living sinful, deviant lives. The only purpose that would have served would be to turn them away. It was a beautiful message and reminder of Christ's great love for us and that we should never put anything else before that love.<br /><br />The reason I am so upset with Voris is because his misrepresentations and lies completely obscure this message of true Christian love. Michael Voris, and many others, feel that the only way to save people is to point out their sin and tell them that if they don't change, they will go to hell. Our Lord's message was "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”<br /><br />This is the message we have to give to the world. You are probably not a big fan of Cardinal Dolan, but he made what I feel is a very profound statement and an excellent reflection of the role of the Church in today's world, where sin is no longer recognized:<br /><br />“And so Francis is reminding us, look, if we come across as some crabby, nay saying shrill, we’re not gonna win anybody. If we come across as a loving, embracing holy mother church who says, “Come on in. We love you. We need you. We want you. And once you get to know us, then maybe we can invite you to the conversion of heart that is at the core of the gospel. And then maybe we can talk about changing behavior. That’s a very effective pedagogy.”<br /><br />This is what I saw last week at St. Francis of Assisi Church. I think that what they did was just what Our Lord would do if He was walking the earth today. That is why the lies that Michael Voris told upset me so much.<br /><br />Emir, I do hope you will continue to read my blog and give me your feedback. Your comments do help me to clarify my thoughts. Catholic in Brooklynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-22889642291759939192014-07-04T14:39:05.459-04:002014-07-04T14:39:05.459-04:00Michael Voris is not important in this story! Even...Michael Voris is not important in this story! Even if he had maliciously and intentionally lied, the disturbing situation in those "gay friendly" parishes is still what is more important! You constantly turn the subject to Voris in order to avoid giving answers to concrete questions.<br /><br />You refuse to see blatant facts about this scandal, and that is your main problem. To you, Michael Voris and his "lies" are bigger concern than catholic parishes which, more or less openly, reject Church's teaching. I don't doubt that you are faithful and well-intentioned catholic, but that is one more reason why I really can't understand your viewpoint and your striving to downplay something that is a huge problem in the Church and that has a great potential to become even bigger in the future (just see what's going on in Austria, for example). <br /><br />I have no will to give you more arguments because you will ignore them, just like you ignored them in my previous posts. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15727413297991469696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-8346829918969153602014-07-04T13:25:52.985-04:002014-07-04T13:25:52.985-04:00Thank you for your comments. They are very enligh...Thank you for your comments. They are very enlightening. Catholic in Brooklynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-87815951396672744462014-07-04T11:45:36.165-04:002014-07-04T11:45:36.165-04:00By the way, how did I know that either "Catho...By the way, how did I know that either "Catholic in Brooklyn" themselves go to this den of sodomites (I'm saying this by looking at their website, NOT what Voris reports) or if not a regular parishioner, I bet you have "freinds" going there?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444196230910765740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-14731973381541962122014-07-04T11:41:40.543-04:002014-07-04T11:41:40.543-04:00Catholic in Brooklyn. You can spend hours upon hou...Catholic in Brooklyn. You can spend hours upon hours attempting to "catch" Voris in distortions, but it's irrelevant.<br />The implication that saint Francis of Assisi is gay friendly is totally true.<br />Nothing Voris reported is untrue.<br />The fact their own website has "LGBT" groups, social justice groups, yet nada for pro-life ministry says a lot.<br />Their "pre pride mass" is an abomination.<br />Michael Voris, being blocked at the door by an usher told it all.<br />Your archdiocese is infested with the homosexual agenda, both laity and unfortunately I have a feeling your priests also.<br />Your continued desperate attempts to smear mr Voris instead of taking on the problem is very "Sheaesque"'<br />Please work on fixing the homosexual apostate problem in your archdiocese, instead of attacking those that live the Church to bring these previously "hush hush" secrets into the open.<br />Who knows, maybe one person may repent of their evil homosexual ways, which I bet would make Mr Voris feel all of the attacks and smears were worth it.<br /><br />Good bless Michael Voris!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14444196230910765740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-37970000117769025042014-07-03T09:08:28.404-04:002014-07-03T09:08:28.404-04:00My only question is, how do you support Voris lyin...My only question is, how do you support Voris lying about what was said at the Mass? Catholic in Brooklynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02714284710110785019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-46498301703674860522014-07-03T08:32:26.392-04:002014-07-03T08:32:26.392-04:00First comment makes a good point about the homily....First comment makes a good point about the homily. Your interpretation of it is an interpretation of a faithful Catholic who accepts Church's teaching and who is educated in Faith. However, those gay people (great majority of them) are not faithful Catholics and don't accept the Church's teaching. Their interpretation is certainly different (closer to the interpretation Voris suggested). So why did the priest have such an ambiguous homily which can be interpreted in different ways at a Mass that was already too ambiguous without that? Why didn't he mention and uphold the Church's teaching at least in some way?<br /><br />But that's not the biggest problem here. In your attempt to defend this parish and to prove Voris was wrong, you are missing the whole point - it is not only about that particular homily or that particular mass, it's about the whole situation in that and other similar "gay friendly" parishes. The parishioners openly reject the teaching of the Church and the clergy practically supports that! They say nothing to their parishioners to turn them away from sin! Nothing! They have a LGBT-ministry and that ministry is all about "tolerance" and "gay spirituality" and garbage like that. Church's teaching is nowhere to be found. Do you really belive that clergy at those parishes totally accepts the Church's teaching on homosexuality? If they really do (which I highly doubt), then they are doing a terrible job preaching on it.<br /><br />Souls are at stake and they do nothing to save them. By promoting false tolerance and by tolerating or even supporting open dissent to Church, they are not doing a favor to those people. I can understand that some people (inside the Church) want to undermine the Church and her teaching on this matter, but I really can't understand faithful Catholics like you who are turning a blind eye to these scandals.<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15727413297991469696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5636389828900724226.post-39504949297538635872014-07-02T21:29:54.976-04:002014-07-02T21:29:54.976-04:00It is so important to remember that it is not what...It is so important to remember that it is not what is preached that matters, but what is heard. <br />The Mass was advertised as "Pre-Pride Mass" with a rainbow background. <br />That is a fact that cannot be escaped. "Pride" had a definite meaning as well as the rainbow. At least, the use was somewhat deceptive in trying to draw in those supporting homosexual activity. <br />That said, you are correct to give a charitable understanding to the priest's sermon, which incidentally was based on the Gospel required for the Vigil Mass. (There was a different Gospel required at the Sunday Mass.) Perhaps he was challenging the pro-gay worshippers to challenge their own prejudices.<br />But, as you also noted that the priest gave the same homily at the Mass before the "Pre-Pride Mass." So, to whom was he addressing those words? <br />As is well know, it is the homosexual activists who accuse Catholics and others of being “prejudiced” because we do not accept sexual activity outside marriage as good. <br />Father may have not intended it, but his homosexual activist hearers, being welcomed to a “Pre-Pride Mass” may have felt validated. Moreover, since he did not point out the different words for love in Greek, he missed a chance to show that love is not about carnal self-satisfaction but about self-sacrifice for God.<br />The fact that Voris may have misunderstood Father is significant. It means Father’s sermon in context could be taken in more than one meaning. There is no reason to disbelieve Voris that an usher tried to send him away. (Although it is not clear that that usher was acting on orders.) But, Voris’ interpretation of the homily is just as valid as yours because of the deceptive context of the advertisement and opening welcome to “Pre-Pride Mass.” Perhaps in the future, the Franciscans will avoid making Mass for particular groups and just advertise “Holy Mass.” <br />-Bruce T.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10751094166090375495noreply@blogger.com