January 9, 2014 - 12:17 PM
Pope Francis delivers his message as he
celebrates a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, to mark Epiphany,
Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. The Epiphany day, is a joyous day for Catholics in which
they recall the journey of the Three Kings, or Magi, to pay homage to Baby
Jesus. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
(CNSNews.com) - The Vatican press office
released a statement three days ago calling the media’s coverage of Pope
Francis’ remarks about children living with same-sex parents “manipulation”
and “quite
obviously forced,” adding that the pope’s positions were “completely
different from what some people are now trying to surreptitiously attribute to
him.”
The Vatican statement was in response to media
reports about informal comments by the pope that they said indicated a change,
a move by the church towards accepting civil unions for homosexuals.
“I remember the case of a sad little girl who
finally confided to her teacher the reason for her state of mind: ‘my mother’s girlfriend
doesn’t like me,’” Pope Francis said to a gathering of the Superiors General of
religious men on November 29. “The percentage of children studying in schools
whose parents have separated is very high.”
“The situation in which we live now provides us
with new challenges which are sometimes difficult for us to understand,” said
the pope. “How can we proclaim Christ to these boys and girls? How can we
proclaim Christ to a generation that is changing? We must be careful not to
administer a vaccine against faith to them.”
Pope Francis’ remarks
occurred during a Q & A format with the religious men about the challenges
of belonging to a religious order, the challenges facing the church in general,
and education.
From the Pope’s remark, AFP ran a story
with the headline, “Pope Calls for Fresh Church Approach to Children of Gay
Parents.”
The article claimed that, “Though the Church has
often been in conflict with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
community over its opposition to same-sex marriage and to homosexuality,
Francis has drawn praise for attempts to be inclusive.”
An article
with a very similar title appeared on NBC News, “Pope Calls for New Approach To
Kids of Gay, Divorced Parents.”
A story with the pope’s quote also appeared in
The Australian titled “The Pope’s Plea on Gay Kids” and the same theme was
featured in The Hindu’s article,
“Pope’s Inclusive Remarks on Homosexuality Surprise Many.”
These media outlets failed to report Pope
Francis’ recent
opposition to same-sex unions in Malta and his instruction to the
archbishop there he was “saddened” by news that Malta was considering allowing
gay couples to adopt, calling it “anthropological regression,” a
phrase he had also used when he was bishop of Buenos Aires.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See’s
Press Office, issued an explanatory note on Jan. 6 following extensive debate
in the media about the Pope’s remarks.
The statement,
released to Vatican Radio, said that “several Italian media reported on this
very ‘general conversation on the educational role of the Church November 29th
, commented Lombardi, who noted that only ‘in recent days’ has the question
been raised in the debate regarding the recognition of civil unions of same-sex
couples.”
The statement continued, “Speaking of an ‘openness
to gay couples’ is paradoxical, Fr. Lombardi states, ‘because the Pope's speech
is overall general (in nature) and because even the small concrete example made
by the Pope about (a girl who is sad because her mother’s girlfriend does not
love her) alludes to the suffering of children ...”
“The Pope had ‘absolutely not expressed’
his opinions on a debate that was ignited in Italy one month later, Fr.
Lombardi says, and ‘those who remember the positions he expressed earlier in Argentina
during similar debates know that they were completely different from what some
people are now trying surreptitiously to attribute to him.’”
- See more at:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-boland/vatican-media-uses-manipulation-pope-s-statements-fit-agenda#sthash.KvsSgX2X.d
- See more at: http://cnsnews.com/about-us#sthash.QTfhFzXM.dpuf
7 comments:
I agree that the media have tried to give the Pope's comments a pro-gay bias. This is what the LGBT world does best - distorts the truth and displays a rampant aggression for the advancement of its seedy cause. Woe betide anyone who cannot view the world through rainbow-coloured spectacles.
And then there's the Russians setting the stage for the Olympic welcome: The Kremlin has chosen its messenger. Dmitri Kiselyov, the Russian news anchor known for his on-air tirades against homosexuals, to lead a new state-run media conglomerate, Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today).
It seems incomprehensible but this time the news is reported accurately, that the standard-bearer President Vladimir Putin chose, one whose venom toward the West and the LGBT community will make any one seeking equality recoil.
Sadly, no amount of boycotting or politicking can make a die hard commie rethink Putin's command. The sight of a rainbow flag makes them turn ever more red!
former USA East
Maybe I'm just getting old but I find myself becoming more and more frustrated and almost unable to answer (or want to answer!) anyone from the far left or far right of any spectrum any longer, whether the spectrum be political, social or religious!
It's like there are days that you just want to have a good scream for all of the lies, half truths, poor reporting and scapegoating that goes out over the internet---whether it's from some gays attacking the Pope and TSA, or people like Anonymous #1 attacking gays and being the reason why so many of them hate and are always suspicious of The Salvation Army.
One can pretty much tell by the writing style that Anonymous #1 has been on this site several times before and has written as if the majority of gay people were among the most evil, Godless people on the planet, when nothing could be further from the truth! Is it any wonder that few if any buy it when one tells them that TSA is filled with good Xian people who hold a myriad of positions on the subject and may have even evolved, changed and modified their views over the years as most people have?
I think it's about time that the General, the Chief and T.C.s and D.C.s everywhere clamp down on the Army's fundamentalists and tell them to shut up on social media and keep their ignorant views limited to in-house discussions where they belong. They might even feel more at home in a denomination such as the Southern Baptist Convention anyway, where fundamentalists have gotten rid of all of their denomination's moderates years ago.
From my experience most people don't join churches because of doctrinal differences (Arminianism vs. Calvinism) anyway, or even over issues of whether women should be able to preach and teach or not. As long as a group fits 100% into one's beliefs on abortion, homosexuality and the Second Coming, without any doubt or further discussions on those matters, they're game for mustering up and signing on the dotted line!
Daryl Lach
USA Central
"You Must Go Home By the Way of the Cross, To Stand With Jesus in the Morning!"
What price freedom of speech? Wasn't it Voltaire who said 'I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it'.
The times, they are a-changing, apparently. What God-given rights of expression does the 'centre' have as opposed to 'left' or 'right' opinions? God gave each of us a brain - they're all wired differently, though, and our thoughts and interpretations are varied. No-one agrees 100% with another person. So please, Daryl, have respect for and show some tolerance for those who don't agree with your viewpoint.
Actually, analyse the Pope's speech, and try to find the truth in it, as opposed to the nuances in the printed word which alter its meaning entirely.
Oh but Anonymous # 3 I do have respect for other people's views even when they do differ from mine. After all, we all do come from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. I understand that.
My problem is when certain (supposedly) Bible based views(forgetting as Jesus said the weighty matters of love and mercy) come across as being so full of venom and so prejudiced toward gays as to deny them full salvation. And to insist that they somehow change who they really innately are to make the majority feel comfortable because gays are all(supposedly) perverted and more prone to sin than anyone else--- when it is just not true!
Not to mention that when such views, which btw fly right in the face of the latest science, are expressed on Army websites---as if everyone in the Army world thought that way---they wind up causing TSA nothing but a lot of unnecessary trouble and ill will worldwide!
I gotta hop in my car and get to work......
Daryl Lach
USA Central
Daryl. How do you know what proportion of Salvationists are pro or anti gay? And why do you think you have the monopoly of thought on what God thinks about gays? After all, each of us is interpreting scripture according to our own thinking - there is nothing 'set in stone'. We are encouraged to read the Bible as part of our Christian 'journey', but as you say, we all come to it from different perspectives and with different intellects. The more simplistic amongst us prefer to take it more or less at face value - otherwise how would people of low intellect manage all that ancient study and situational complexities? Jesus said we should become as little children (although you would probably have a different take on this simple statement).
Yes - I choose to view this subject lifestyle as something totally alien to my own way of life, and also something which, in my opinion, is not what God wants for His children. BUT - that is my prerogative, my interpretation, and something which only I will have to answer for when I get to the pearly gates. And if I feel convicted of this viewpoint, it behoves me to say so, just as you do. Everyone has to act according to their conscience, and that is what I am doing.
I certainly don't judge gay people, and their eternal destiny is not up to me.
You talk about venom - I would never pen a paragraph such as yours above which begins 'I think....' It comes across as dogmatic fundamentalism of the left variety, if you don't mind my saying so. Sorry, but I'd rather listen to my conscience.
I realiseras subjects like this are bound to stir up feeling. But it is so important for us to respect the others oppinions.
Saying that, I declare my support of Daryl!
I don't wish to be labled as either Left or Wright in my belives, but I do have the Right to my own opinion. Like the others, and in respect.
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