Michael Paulson's fine blog, Articles of Faith, offers a variety of posts on religious issues.
His last three posts may be of interest to readers here:
• The story of a bell captain in a swank NY hotel who came to work on Ash Wednesday with a smudge of burnt palm on his forehead...
• A report on the transfer of a Holocaust memorial to the new Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Boston in Braintree and the connection of this event to the recent uproar over the Holocaust denying "bishop" and the pope's lifting his excommunication...
• An interview with the openly gay New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson. The most interesting element in the interview has less to do with his sexual orientation and much more to do with his take on how the church changes and grows. Apart from particular concerns about individual rights, this is food for thought for all Christians whose church bodies are facing questions of change and development. The parameters here are likely too broadly set for Catholic sensitivities but the dynamic is interesting nonetheless.
A link to Articles of Faith can always be found on the sidebar here.
Image: Cambridge Interfaith Group
-ConcordPastor
Don't like to be simply a critical voice, especially when there is so much truly fine, helpful, and exquisitely expressed material on your blog, but I was jarred by your use of the term sexual "preference" in regard to Bishop Robinson. My preference is sexual "orientation." Just trying to keep from making steps backwards, expecially in the important forum for the Catholic that your blog provides.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction - which I've made on the post.
ReplyDeleteIn talking about his discussion with the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church and his own selection as its first gay bishop living openly with a partner, Bishop Robinson is quoted as saying, "It seems to me that by God's grace we do the right thing and then think our way to it." In the Episcopal Church this is possible. Unfortunately, it is not possible in the Catholic Church.
ReplyDeleteUnless we are sacramentally married, our orientation must be chastity and celibacy.
ReplyDeleteThe article posted about the bay Bishop is one that deflects people reading towards infidelity to God.
I'm sure Father, you've taught your flock, irrespective of errant their attractions and desires to use the Sacrament of Confession for transgressions against God. I just wanted to point out that the article points people towards spiritual confusion.
Anna Lynskey
Sexual orientation is sexual orientation and the church recognizes that people have different sexual orientations.
ReplyDeleteChastity and celibacy are not sexual orientations but rather disciplines to help us live with our sexual orientations, whatever they might be.
If anyone is confused with regard to why I posted a link to this story, please reread my post which indicates that the interesting element here has less to do with sexual orientation and more to do with how church teaching develops - including my caveat regards the difficulty of simply transferring this to Catholic sensitivities.
I'm closing comments on this post because I'm receiving material I don't understand and therefore am unable to reply to.
ReplyDelete