Michelangelo, the late Pope Benedict saga & "retirement" has never been fully investigated. Although, there has been clues to the possibility that he may have taken part in homosexual activities. The biggest puzzle (& clue) was that , Paolo Gabriele, a butler to Benedict, when arrested in May 2012, and reported by the Italian press in "breaking news" that his arrest was for "soliciting" men , he reportedly admitted to the arresting officers that he had done so for the inner sanctum of the Vatican. Then a peculiar change in his charge papers a few days later indicated that he was arrested for "stealing the pontiff's private letters", for alleged blackmail purposes.Of course, it was never explained that he was arrested in a gay area but it was only when they "searched" his house a day or two later that the "private papers" were "found", it all made no sense. The press & Vatican suddenly changed the story....and a few months later Pope Benedict "resigned". He said he was "too tired to go on", but strangely asked for "forgiveness".....which was presumed to be for allowing allegations of sexual misconduct by priests to be ignored or hushed up. When Pope Francis took over the reigns he made a decision to live outside the Vatican walls, the speculation was that he feared the ultra conservative Vatican staff. The Vatican is a hot bed of right winged conservatism & hypocrisy especially with regard to homosexuality. Pope Francis is now even more vulnerable & will receive a wave of criticism and kick back for his current statements.
As a recovering atheist agnostic former Catholic, I only care about that great purveyor of Bronze Age myths, the Catholic Church, for the same reasons you do, i.e. its outsized power and influence. It is good to see Francis trying to reform the church by removing the justifications for hatred. I hope his efforts succeed and that a pope in his mold succeeds him, as you said.
As a former layperson, I am stunned that a Pope possess' liberal social leanings. The Catholic Church itself is where the vitriol belongs: from Nazi collaboration to the abuse of children. The storming of St. Patricks cathedral in NY was a genius move by ACT UP...
If the Catholic Church would recognize that human sexuality is a trait that an individual is born with... and not something you decide later on in life when you have “free will”.... then the Church needs to recognize that God created humans as heterosexual as well as LGTBQ+... the act of eternal celibacy is considered a “gift” provided by God to certain human beings.... God only presents this gift to a select few (priests, nuns).... the church provides humans with an active sex life through the sacrament of marriage... and therefore LGTBQ+ sexual activity should be allowed in a sacramental marriage. Long story short - gay sex is not against Catholic Church doctrine as long as it is within a marriage. BTW - many Catholic Jesuits priests subscribe to this belief
While I believe people are free to live their lives however, they want, and homosexuality should certainly not be a crime in any way, the pope really needs to STHU? The Catholic Church is still hiding rapist and pedophiles and this pope is not doing what should be done. II love how those who claim not to believe in God but when the "pope" says something they lie it's headline news. Let' be honest the pope is the head of the Catholic Church and the Vatican...No seperation of church and state. The very thing most of us on the left..[progressives and liberal alike cherish but so many has no issue with this guy and the Papal system going against one of the foundations of our Constitution and democracy itself. Sorry the pope can STHU...I don't and will not have anything to do with his BS even on things we might agree on in principal
I Identify as a recovering Catholic! Seriously, I don’t prescribe to any religion. I think it messes with my spirituality
However , I do like this pope for being more of a man of the people and against the hard right wing stance of the American clergy.
Michelangelo, the late Pope Benedict saga & "retirement" has never been fully investigated. Although, there has been clues to the possibility that he may have taken part in homosexual activities. The biggest puzzle (& clue) was that , Paolo Gabriele, a butler to Benedict, when arrested in May 2012, and reported by the Italian press in "breaking news" that his arrest was for "soliciting" men , he reportedly admitted to the arresting officers that he had done so for the inner sanctum of the Vatican. Then a peculiar change in his charge papers a few days later indicated that he was arrested for "stealing the pontiff's private letters", for alleged blackmail purposes.Of course, it was never explained that he was arrested in a gay area but it was only when they "searched" his house a day or two later that the "private papers" were "found", it all made no sense. The press & Vatican suddenly changed the story....and a few months later Pope Benedict "resigned". He said he was "too tired to go on", but strangely asked for "forgiveness".....which was presumed to be for allowing allegations of sexual misconduct by priests to be ignored or hushed up. When Pope Francis took over the reigns he made a decision to live outside the Vatican walls, the speculation was that he feared the ultra conservative Vatican staff. The Vatican is a hot bed of right winged conservatism & hypocrisy especially with regard to homosexuality. Pope Francis is now even more vulnerable & will receive a wave of criticism and kick back for his current statements.
Also please review the writings of Fr. James Martin a Jesuit priest who is also the editor of America Magazine https://www.americamagazine.org.
As a recovering atheist agnostic former Catholic, I only care about that great purveyor of Bronze Age myths, the Catholic Church, for the same reasons you do, i.e. its outsized power and influence. It is good to see Francis trying to reform the church by removing the justifications for hatred. I hope his efforts succeed and that a pope in his mold succeeds him, as you said.
As a former layperson, I am stunned that a Pope possess' liberal social leanings. The Catholic Church itself is where the vitriol belongs: from Nazi collaboration to the abuse of children. The storming of St. Patricks cathedral in NY was a genius move by ACT UP...
If the Catholic Church would recognize that human sexuality is a trait that an individual is born with... and not something you decide later on in life when you have “free will”.... then the Church needs to recognize that God created humans as heterosexual as well as LGTBQ+... the act of eternal celibacy is considered a “gift” provided by God to certain human beings.... God only presents this gift to a select few (priests, nuns).... the church provides humans with an active sex life through the sacrament of marriage... and therefore LGTBQ+ sexual activity should be allowed in a sacramental marriage. Long story short - gay sex is not against Catholic Church doctrine as long as it is within a marriage. BTW - many Catholic Jesuits priests subscribe to this belief
While I believe people are free to live their lives however, they want, and homosexuality should certainly not be a crime in any way, the pope really needs to STHU? The Catholic Church is still hiding rapist and pedophiles and this pope is not doing what should be done. II love how those who claim not to believe in God but when the "pope" says something they lie it's headline news. Let' be honest the pope is the head of the Catholic Church and the Vatican...No seperation of church and state. The very thing most of us on the left..[progressives and liberal alike cherish but so many has no issue with this guy and the Papal system going against one of the foundations of our Constitution and democracy itself. Sorry the pope can STHU...I don't and will not have anything to do with his BS even on things we might agree on in principal
Perfectly stated, sir.