Pope Francis never approved same-sex marriage in the Catholic Church

– This is what the Pope really said/meant in the declaration – “Fiducia Supplicans” on the pastoral meaning of blessings document Our confraternity observed with utmost amazement with the misunderstanding/misrepresentation/misinterpretation of the current papal declaration on blessings by both Catholics and non-Catholics.

We deem it worthwhile, at this juncture, considering the sensitivity of the topic to lend our voice with the clarifications already offered by many church’s hierarchy.

We supposed that those who misunderstood what the Holy Father meant in that document either did not read the original document/the English version of the document. Otherwise, the document is quite self-explanatory and enriching.

We strongly encourage people to go back and read the original texts before they draw their conclusions. The text is well graphed/arranged in cogs for clarity.

THE AIMS OF THE DOCUMENT

1. TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT/AUTHENTIC CLARIFICATION THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CONDEMNS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE PERPETUALLY.

Here is an excerpt from the document – paragraph 4:

“It is a matter of avoiding that “something that is not marriage is being recognized as marriage.”[5] Therefore, rites and prayers that could create confusion between what constitutes marriage—which is the “exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children”[6]—and what contradicts it are inadmissible. This conviction is grounded in the perennial Catholic doctrine of marriage; it is only in this context that sexual relations find their natural, proper, and fully human meaning. The Church’s doctrine on this point remains firm.”

Here the Pope unambiguously affirms the position of the Catholic Church on Same-Sex union which maintains that SAME-SEX UNION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

This Papal Declaration, no doubt, would clamp the clamour for Same-Sex Union not only in the Church but also in the wider society who would understand/uphold that Same-Sex Marriage is never a Marriage but an action against THE MOST HOLY GOD, against nature and against mankind.

2. TO ECHO TO THE WORLD AND ALL WHO CLAMOUR FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE THAT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IS INIMICAL TO CATHOLICISM/CAN NEVER BE APPROVED.

This clarification by the Holy Pontiff has eternally buried the topic of  Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church/set the tempo/the abacus for the decimation, annihilation and conversion of Same-Sex Marriage/perpetrators.

The Pope’s declaration which re-echoed the Catholic Church’s position on Marriage – an “Exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children” contrary to Same-Sex Marriage  has made the loudest  condemnation/reminder of Same-Sex  Marriage as a taboo to both Christendom and nature.

This declaration is timely as it is borne out of the urgent need to clarify the Holy Roman Catholic Church’s position on Same-Sex Union/other irregular situations as many forces are pushing for the legalisation of Same-Sex Marriage in our society and people are asking to know the take of the Church.

The Holy Father has to wade in at this time to clarify the Church’s position to avoid confusion/deception.

This is a rare wisdom inspired by the Holy Spirit. We therefore, admonish the entire Christendom and all people of goodwill who abhor evil not to be beguiled/tricked to misunderstand the Holy Pontiff’s sagacious/Spirit-inspired wisdom to fight the religious cum societal great menace of our soul/time.

3. TO GUIDE PRIESTS AGAINST THE DECEPTION OF AFFIRMING/WEDDING SAME-SEX PEOPLE IN ANY POSSIBLE DISGUISE.

The document pinpointed very clearly, possible means/disguises Same-Sex perpetrators could employ  to deceive the clergy/receive recognition in the Church.

The implication is that the Holy Catholic Church being the apex of Christendom/society model, once deceived to recognize Same-Sex Union, the entire Christendom and the society are in for the modern hex.

The Pope who is the Vicar of Christ on earth/the custodian of Christianity/society has to quickly REAFFIRM THE POSITION OF THE CHURCH ON MARRIAGE AND UNVEIL POSSIBLE DISGUISES TO AVOID ANY FORM OF TRICK TO GAIN RECOGNITION BOTH IN THE CHURCH AND THE WIDER SOCIETY.

The truth remains that people are aware that whatever the Catholic Church did not approve, is not approved in the world, no matter any country or individual(s) that seem to approve it. That’s the major reason – ‘the push’ to deceive the Church to recognize Same-Sex Union in any disguise possible – “39. In any case, precisely to avoid any form of confusion or scandal, when the prayer of blessing is requested by a couple in an irregular situation, even though it is expressed outside the rites prescribed by the liturgical books, this blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them. Nor can it be performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding.The same applies when the blessing is requested by a same-sex couple.

40. Such a blessing may instead find its place in other contexts, such as a visit to a shrine, a meeting with a priest, a prayer recited in a group, or during a pilgrimage. Indeed, through these blessings that are given not through the ritual forms proper to the liturgy but as an expression of the Church’s maternal heart—similar to those that emanate from the core of popular piety—there is no intention to legitimize anything, but rather to open one’s life to God, to ask for his help to live better, and also to invoke the Holy Spirit so that the values of the Gospel may be lived with greater faithfulness”.

Same-Sex Marriage remains a taboo in both Christendom and the wider society because the Catholic Church maintains that Same-Sex Union is never a Marriage but a religious/natural taboo.

4. TO OFFER GOD’S READY-MADE MERCY/EVER-AVAILABLE-AND-EVER-VALUABLE LOVE TO SAME-SEX PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO GOD’S CHILDREN LIKE EVERY ONE OF US.

The document outlined the process involved in its creation and the sole ‘soul’ of its essence. And the sole soul of the essence of this document is to offer all mankind, including people in irregular marriages and same-sex people who are all created in the Image and Likeness of the INEXPLICABLE LOVING GOD but vitiated by faults.

(i) The EVER-AVAILABLE-AND-EVER-VALUABLE LOVE OF GOD – paving way thereof for their own repentance/Salvation.

GOD IS LOVE and He created all mankind in HIS Image of Love. All mankind are therefore children of the ALL-LOVING GOD.

When man sinned, GOD came into the world in the person of Christ Jesus to save all mankind. No one is obliterated from the Love/Salvation of God except one who choses on their own volution. Even as at that, God does not give up on us in our sins. WHEN SIN ABOUNDS AS IT IS THE SITUATION IN OUR MODERN WORLD TODAY WHERE SAME SEX INDULGE IN IMMORAL/ABHORRENT RELATIONSHIPS/ACTIVITIES AND OTHERS PREFERRING TO BECOME ANIMALS (DOGS), GOD’S SAVING GRACE ALSO INCREASES ABOVE OUR SINS TO SAVE US STILL IN THE MULTITUDE OF OUR SINS.

GOD’S LOVE is really inexplicable and ever-available to all, especially, to all who seek Him consciously/unconsciously. God did not love/saved us because of our righteousness. CHRIST DIED FOR ALL MANKIND (the Same-Sex perpetrators inclusive) WHILE WE ARE YET SINNERS. Hence, it does not require our righteousness to be saved. All that is required is our acknowledgement that Christ Jesus has died to redeem us. And then we would be indoctrinated on the requirement to access this Ready-Made Salvation Christ has already wrought for all mankind through His Death and Resurrection through the Sacraments of the Church.

The fact that Same-Sex people approach the Church for blessing, unveils, a conscious/unconscious acknowledgement that they trust/need God in their life.

We should see beyond their pretence of obtaining the Church’s recognition by trick which the Roman Pontiff has already prevented/stalled by the clarifications offered in the declaration which vehemently upholds Marriage as an “Exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children”[6]—and what contradicts it are inadmissible. This conviction is grounded in the perennial Catholic doctrine of marriage; it is only in this context that sexual relations find their natural, proper, and fully human meaning. The Church’s doctrine on this point remains firm.”

We should rather see their request of church’s blessing as a trust/dependence/need of GOD which GOD who is All-Loving and who have saved us while we were still sinners would not restrain to accept them and bless them with His Ready-Made Mercy.

It is imperative to remind ourselves once again, that The All-Loving GOD has already blessed these perpetrators of Same-Sex with His Gift of Himself – His Image/Likeness and HE reaffirmed/reoffered this Blessing of Himself in His Son Jesus Christ – FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SO THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

All mankind are blessed – saved by Christ Jesus even though many don’t realize/consciously ignore it. Yet God’s Salvation awaits them till death. Any day they come to seek GOD’S SAVING HELP – SALVATION, GOD welcomes them with open arms. As a matter of fact, it is GOD HIMSELF who goes all out in search of us in the multitude of our sins; pleading with us to return to Him; promising to wash our sins as white as snow even though they’re as red as crimson.

GOD’S LOVE cannot be comprehended by mankind. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised He would teach His Church all things continues to teach the Church the mysteries of GOD’s Ever-Available Love.

The book of Hosea demonstrates the foolishness of GOD’s Love for us in our waywardness. This is typical the “Foolishness” the Vicar of Christ on earth – The Holy Pontiff declared in the document – Fudicia Supplicans where he opened the arms of the Church of GOD (the arms of GOD) to welcome/embrace people who seek God in their lives wittingly/wittingly.

It is God Himself who has gone all out to look for them and GOD brings them back to Himself on His shoulders (Be Merciful; Like The Father) via His Church; like the shepherd who went all out seeking the one sheep that lost/the woman who swept all her room in search of the ordinary single coin unknown even to these Same-Sex people in the name of seeking the Church’s recognition/blessings – for no one comes to Christ Jesus without GOD bringing them to Salvation Himself.

If a woman and shepherd could not let-go single coin and sheep respectively that are not their image to get lost forever, how then do we think that GOD would let go even a single hair on any human-beings head to go unaccounted for after saving us while we were still sinners.

The people we consider sinners are not done for. GOD has not finished with them yet, so long as they are still alive. We call them sinners and want to treat them accordingly.

A little understanding of how God loves mankind would help us to appreciate the Roman Pontiff’s declaration.

DOES ANY MAN CALL HIS SON THAT IS DERANGED OR MAD A MADMAN? To outsiders he’s a madman.

Take for instance, a man has a son called AB. Suddenly AB became mad due to his faults and suffered Schizophrenia – a major psychiatric disorder characterized by hoarding of rubbish, unkempt, etc.

Surprisingly, during this Christmas periods, AB in his nudity/dirt comes around their house briefly and zooms out. And on noticing such development, would the mother of AB, knowing that their son AB might come around again on Christmas Day, not keep some food outside and make it very conspicuous that AB might notice it and eat?

If luck had it that AB came around/noticed the food and rushed the food, how would AB’s mother feel? Would she not feel very elated with the hope AB is recuperating. Would she not dash to their sitting room to inform her husband that their son AB is at home/eating food. Would she say, “Darling, your mad son is a’home eating. Of course, she would rather in ecstasy say, “Darling, guess what, you can’t believe that AB your son is a ‘home enjoying his Xmas Meal.”

On hearing this, what would you expect the man would do. No doubt, this man would rush out to see this Christmas wonder himself. And if the man goes out and sees his son AB, would he say, ‘Hello, you madman, make sure you’re well before coming here. Now you can see what you caused yourself. We advised you but you did not listen. Leave this place now before you bite somebody’.

The man would rather in jubilation that there’s hope his son is regaining his health and say, Hi, AB my darling. How are you today and he might as well offer a handshake to his dear son – “If your fathers who are though sinners give good gifts to their children let alone God who gives the Holy Spirit to    those that ask Him” – if earthly fathers could treat their children who is not their image with this much love, then how much God who is Love Himself treat us who are his real image.

Surprisingly, AB demanded for some money from his dad as usual with some mad fellows and as soon as his father handed him some money, he zoomed off, in his nudity, heading to the streets as usual.

Filled with joy/hope that AB would recover one day, AB’s parents trailed AB with admiration/gazing at the future when AB would eventually regain his health.

While following him from a little distance, they discovered AB asked a passerby for an umbrella she was holding/made his way to take the umbrella from the stranger by force.

The stranger stopped and started shouting on him, “Look at this stupid mad thing. Get out of my way before I flog hell out of your madness – foolish madman. Who knows the hard drugs you took that battered your life – is this not that madman they said hard drugs deranged him. You’ll tell a child don’t go to war to avoid being consumed in the war but the stubborn child would say, if I go to war I’ll kill seven people. Now the snake and what they swallowed are lying side-by-side”.

AB’s mother was enraged hearing someone calling her son AB a madman. And immediately, from behind the stranger, she began to yell at the stranger in tears – “It’s you that are mad. You’re a madman. It’s you that took hard drugs. You’re a snake”.

AB’s father held her in his arms and began to calm her down – “It’s ok darling! You see, Love has made the difference between you and this stranger. This stranger has no iota of Love for AB because he did not give birth to AB. But here you are in deep grief that the fruit of your own womb turned out this way even though he’s the cause of his problem yet your Love for him transcends his faults.

Love is greater than life – Love is greater than sin – Love takes no notice of faults – Love counts no offense. Our Love for AB has absolved him of his offense that led him to this ill-health. And it did not stop there. It is Love that has empowered you and I with the energy, concern, care for AB all these years with the undying hope that one day he’d regain his health and return back to us hale-and-hearty because he is our own blood”.

If the dead body of someone is carried on the street for burial, the true relatives of the deceased weep in great anguish but to passersby/strangers, the corpse is like a log of wood. It makes little/no meaning to them.

This is exactly the case of people we consider worst/public sinners. We write them off because they’re not our image/likeness (children/relatives).

This is the same way the Jews wrote off St Mathew, the Chief Tax Collector and condemned Christ Jesus whom the Pope represents today for associating with him. And we saw how the association with this ardent sinner PAVED WAY FOR HIS OWN CONVERSION.

5. OPENING THE DOOR OF CONVERSION/SALVATION TO SAME-SEX COUPLES

The fifth objective of FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS DECLARATION is aimed at paving the way for the personal conversion of perpetrators of Same-Sex Union.

By religion and nature, it is very evident that same-sex relationships/activities are abhorrent/perilous to the entire human society. Nevertheless, we should make efforts (to overcome emotion) to differentiate between sin from the sinner. Sin should be abhorred while the sinner should be absorbed/absolved – helped to realize their sinister state/seek God’s Mercy that is ready-made/waiting for them.

Interestingly, GOD calls them HIS children and that is what they’re while they’re still alive – with the hope they would repent before death as God does not desire the death of a sinner but they should live and repent and save their soul.

This is exactly the opportunity the Holy Pontiff offered to these Same-Sex people than lock the Kingdom of God against them and deprive them the opportunity of repentance that comes from God Himself.

“For this reason, one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation. At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing. In a brief prayer preceding this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance—but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely.”

St Matthew didn’t seek Christ Jesus. Jesus rather called him up right in his very point of sin – Tax Office. Tax/Office is not a sin but what he made out of the tax/office that made him a sinner which he confessed/made necessary restitution.

Like St Mathew, God called all of us in our sins. No one was a holy man when he was called – “All have sinned come short the glory of God”/ If God would mark our sins, who would live”/ Christ Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners”.

The good thing is Coming in contact/hearing Jesus helps us all to repent/advance in Grace/Love/Holiness – advancing up to the maturity in the person of Christ just as St Matthew’s contact with Christ helped him to repent midway and he bequeathed us an example of restitution.

Locking Same-Sex out of the Church means locking them out of the Kingdom of God which the Church is on earth. And as the African Eunuch  told Philip, “How can I know unless I’m thought”. And again, the Holy Scripture buttressed it the more – “Faith comes from hearing, hearing the Words of God”, how would they have the opportunity to hear the WORDS OF GOD THAT HAS POWER TO SHATTER THE ILLICIT/IMMORAL ACTIVITIES IN US AND PENETRATE INTO OUR DEEPER HEARTS TO CONVERT US ALL.

Mathew, a public sinner, could not go to Christ Jesus but the Lord called him by Himself let alone when Same-Sex people came to God themselves to seek God’s blessings in whatever disguise. This is an act of faith/trust/dependence on God.

The Holy Pontiff looked beyond their perceived intention and rescinded the temptation of presumption but guided by celestial wisdom – whatever their intention might be, made it crystal clear that Same-Sex Union is not to be considered as Marriage in the first place and unveiled avenues of possible disguises that could be emplored/employed for their recognition and alerted the clergy so that they would not claim/pose to have received the Church’s blessing/approval for their unacceptable relationships/activities while helping them to repent. This is simply the meaning/essence of the FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS DECLARATION.

CONCLUSION

Our reactions about the FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS DECLARATION exposed the zenith of spirituality – the high level of Love the Pope has compared to the nether level of Love we have.

The Grace of GOD is abundantly at work in the Holy Pontiff. He tries to typify READY-MADE-MERCY AND EVER-AVAILABLE-EVER-VALUABLE LOVE OF GOD which is the nature of GOD with which GOD created all mankind.

All mankind is created in Mercy. God knew all mankind would sin in Adam. If he didn’t, it means He is not God but mere mortal man.

God knew all mankind would sin in Adam and loose the Heavenly Glory planned for them. To ensure, evil did not conquer Good – no powers can thwart God’s Plan of Glory for man, God forgave man his offense before creating man.

Man is therefore created in Mercy – Ready-Made Mercy of God. God forgave us our sins before we committed them. Because our sins are already forgiven before we sinned this is why God is always on the lookout to receive us back.

In the Holy Scripture we see it very obvious how God goes out to plead with us to return to Him when we sin and run away from him.

If we understand in a fringe, how much God loves man, we would be ever grateful to this ALL-AND-EVER-LOVING GOD and in extension, treat fellow mankind with unrestrained/selfless love realizing that GOD has already forgiven them before they sinned and the gravity of their sins makes no meaning to HIM so long as they are alive; preparing them for repentance as the Scripture says, “My generosity and patience to the sinners is to prepare him for repentance.”

This same repentance is the essence of why the Holy Pontiff allows all in irregular situations, including those in Same-Sex relationships to be prayed for – invoking God’s Grace on them to realize/live out the will of God in their lives.

God does not condole sins but condoles the sinner. God looks beyond the sin of man. He is rather more interested with the sinner – the conversion of the sinner who is the sole reason Christ came as He clarified the Jews when they opposed His association with Mathew – the Son of Man came for sinners and not for the righteous.

Fiducia Supplicans declaration is x-rayed from the incident of MARY OF MAGDALA and how Christ Jesus handled it. Christ condemned the sin and not the sinner – “Go and sin no more” – the Vicar of Christ on earth condemned Same-Sex relationships/activities but not the human beings who indulge in them because they are also children of God created in God’s Image whose Sins Christ has atoned for and hung at the Cross daily pleading with them to come and claim their Ever-Ready Loving Salvation.

If a same-sex perpetrator meets a Priest and asked the Priest to bless him, what would the Priest do. Would he cast him aside or ask him to repent first/get indoctrinated/go for confession before he would pray for him. Or would he reflect that his practice is sinful but this person in this illicit practice is an image of God whom Christ has already forgiven the same illicit sin over 2,000 years ago and continually hung on the cross with hands wide-spread; pleading to his heart; to come and access his ready-made salvation, which him, as a priest, is ordained/consecrated to celebrate in the Holy Eucharist daily – an invitation to the Love Feast of the Lamb –  inviting all mankind to come to access the Salvation Christ already wrought for all, the same way Christ went all round Judea inviting all mankind to His Glorious Kingdom in Heaven which He left the Church to continue in continuum – “Do this in memory of me”, and then consider it expedient to save the soul made in the Image of Ever-And-Overly Loving God who is battered by sin.

Praying for the same-sex perpetrator, no doubt, does not mean the priest approves of same-sex relationships/activities which are immoral/abhorrent.

The Priest’s prayer is rather meant to grant them the light of God to see their sinister situation and rise up to embrace God’s Love through repentance/conversion of their hearts.

This was the case of Mathew; Mary of Magdala, the Samaritan woman. Christ did not require them to repent first before associating with them. He condemned their sins but did not condemn them. He associated with them all in their sins/prejudices/malice. But their association with Christ paved way for their conversion.

This is exactly what the Roman Pontiff has declared in the FUDICIA SUPPLICANS DECLARATION.

.Article written by Mary the crucible of love confraternity

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