30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Oct. 26, 2014

Written by Fr. Fitz Wednesday, 22 October 2014 12:21

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Oct. 26, 2014

Has the Catholic Church turned it's back on Gays?

 

Some thinks so because of news out of the Roman Synod. But not so.

 

But first today's Gospel "you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus then does not go on to list exceptions.
We make exceptions. He does not.
We like to exclude those who are different from us, foreigners, different skin colors,
or sexual orientations. They become "aliens."

Well listen to what God says to us about aliens in today's 2nd reading:

"You shall not oppress or molest an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt."......and if you do, "My wrath will flare up and I shall slay you with a sword."
Exodus 22: 20-26

Well, for too many narrow minded people, Gays are considered aliens
because they are DIFFERENT "from ME."

So the Roman Synod introduced a text friendly to Gays.
This after Pope Francis lifted the lid and asked for frank, open discussion.
He got it.
The conservative minority panicked just like they did at the opening of Vatican II
and TRIED to block a decree on Religious Liberty.
All they accomplished then was to delay it.
In this case, they avoided a 2/3 favorable vote BUT the
MAJORITY OF THE BISHOPS VOTED IN FAVOR.

And some who voted no, did so because they felt the text was not friendly ENOUGH.
Like British Cardinal Vincent Nichols who said,
"it did not include words strongly enough" in welcoming Gays.

This was round one of the Synod.
It ain't over til it's over, and Pope Francis has asked for further reflection.

He also had this to say to the conservatives:
You have "a temptation to close yourselves within the written word...the letter of the law,
and not allowing God to surprise us by the Spirit..."

To the Progressives, he said your temptation may be "to bind up wounds without treating them."
His role is to hold the disputing factions together in unity,
BUT he is also showing them a NEW PATH TO FOLLOW.

FOR AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON THE SYNOD, Google:

National Catholic Reporter: "Seven lessons from the Vatican's
wild and crazy synod on the family" by David Gibson