Cardinal defends homosexual marriage legislation

Cardinal Godfried Danneels defends legislation for same-sex marriage in an interview with this newspaper, though he feels that there is another term that should be found for relationships between people of the same sex. Archbishop Leonard sides with him. 'Do not call it gay marriage, but a gay relationship. "

D e Tijdspoke with Godfried Danneels following his eightieth birthday.
There have been months of massive demonstrations against gay marriage, which has been accepted by parliament. In France on Wednesday, there was the first legally blessed marriage , heavily protected from protesters. When asked what he thinks of the attitude of his church in this discussion Danneels says, "You know what the Church says about these problems, I do not want to go against it. But I think it's a positive development that states open up free civil marriage for homosexuals if they want. "

Can you not as a human being identify with this orientation?
Cardinal Godfried Danneels,

The reasoning goes like this: "Can you not as a human being identify with this orientation? I think there is a clear evolution in the thinking of the church. Also towards people who commit suicide, for example. Previously, that condemned you to be not being buried in a cemetery - of course you cannot do such things! It is much more nuanced thinking about the person in their totality rather than being fixated on the moral principle. '

Politically sensitive
Same-sex marriage is currently politically sensitive in several European countries.The British Parliament is considering the opening up of civil marriage to persons of the same sex. In Paris, hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets against gay marriage. Recently historian Dominique Venner put a bullet through his head at the high altar of Notre Dame in protest against gay marriage. Nineteen countries, including Belgium, have already opened civil marriage , dozens of other countries will follow in the coming years.

On what is legal, what one can do legitimately and legally, the Church has nothing to say.
CardinalGodfried Danneels,

Danneels has a reputation of being in the vanguard of the troops. As in 2004, when he set the Vatican in turmoil by declaring that someone who is HIV positive would be better to use a condom during sex. About gay marriage, he is clear, albeit cautiously: "It is positive if states want to regulate the relationships between people of the same sex but for the Church it is not real marriage as between man and woman. So you have a different name cited in the dictionary sites. But on what is legal, what one can do legitimately and legally, the Church has nothing to say.. "

Obligation
The statements fit in with a change in the Vatican.
Paul Van Geest,
Professor of Church History, University of Tilburg

“What Cardinal Danneels says is remarkable. Here he creates a noteworthy opening, because the institution of the Church is opposed to a civil marriage, that regulates and legitimises sexual relationships between people of the same sex' "says Rik Torfs, professor of canon law and rector-elect of the university. Paul Van Geest, professor of church history and his colleague at the University of Tilburg, gives perspective."There is the story put out by the New York Times that the current Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, as archbishop of Buenos Aires behind the scenes campaigned for legal rights for gay couples and civil union, a fight he lost in the Argentine Episcopal Conference. (See Cathcon- witness inside the Episcopal Conference) ;The statements fit in with a change in the Vatican. "

Also Archbishop Andre Leonard sides with Danneels, "The position of Danneels is that of the Archbishop ', says Jeroen Moens, a spokesman for the archdiocese."Monsignor Leonard has no problem with a legal commitment between gay men. But he would not call it marriage. Let us say that Monsignor Leonard endorses a gay commitment. Marriage happens before the Church in the complementarity of man and woman. Such complementarity is impossible between two people of the same sex. "

Let us say that Monsignor Leonard endorses a gay commitment.
Jeroen Moens,
Archdiocese spokesman

Danneels, in other words, is not the only ecclesiastical dignitary who recently reached out to gay couples. Archbishop Piero Marini, the Papal Master of Ceremonies promoted by Pope Benedict (Cathcon- well, not exactly) recently remarked that "it is time to recognize that many couples suffer because their civil rights are not recognized.

Similar words were spoken earlier this year Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family - before he was rebuffed


Source Cathcon- Archbishop Leonard is in theory at least meant to be a conservative. Like origami, turn a conservative inside out and you get a liberal. You cannot do that with tradition. See also German Cardinal defends mutually caring homosexual relationships

Shortage of wafers and wine for Mass hits Venezuela

The food shortages in Venezuela have now reached the Catholic Church: Because there is a lack of sacramental wine and flour for the production of hosts, the Bishop of the western state of Merida is now threatening to reduce the number of services significantly.

"When we cannot hold a service any more in a reasonable way, we need to reduce the numbers of celebrations of the Eucharist, which would be very unfortunate," Bishop Baltazar Porras said on Monday. According to him, inventories of the fine sacramental wine in Merida will only last for two to three months. Also the supply of wafers was "very limited" because the nuns have run out of flour. Venezuelan inhabitants are accustomed to the constant lack of food and basic necessities such as toilet paper: the country has to import most of its goods, but given the drastic exchange controls dollars are difficult to come by. The sacramental wine was previously exempted from the tax, but now the Socialist government has cut the subsidies. Meanwhile, a bottle costs $ 16 (about twelve euros), as much as normal wine.

Source

When is a bank, not a bank? When it is a Vatican Bank

Quote from an Interview with IOR President, Ernst von Freyberg

"So you are strictly speaking not a bank?

“We are not a bank. We do not lend money, we do not make direct investments, we do not act as financial counterparts so you cannot get a swatch or a hedge from us. We do not speculate in currency or commodities, our core is we receive money as deposits and we then invest it in government bonds, some corporate bonds and in the inter-banking market where we deposit with other banks, for a slightly higher interest rate than we receive in order to be able to give it back to our customers whenever they want it.”"

Jesuit blames Israel and the West for the radicalisation of Islam

The majority of the Syrian opposition is against democracy. This was said by the head of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Paulo Pinheiro, on Wednesday to journalists in Paris. According to the Brazilian diplomat, the civil war in Syria brings worse and worse atrocities to light. Meanwhile, already more than 1.6 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries, according to official figures from the United Nations. This could adversely affect the ethnic and religious structures in the region and further aggravate the situation in the Middle East. This was stated on Vatican Radio by the Islam and Middle East expert Jesuit Father Samir Khalil Samir, who teaches at the University of Beirut. "Many people in Lebanon are concerned because the conflict in Syria is becoming more like a conflict between Shiites and Sunnis. These are the two main currents in Islam. In Lebanon, it is also noticeable that the Shiite Hezbollah behave more aggressively than before towards the Sunni Lebanese. In the north of Lebanon - that is, in the city of Tripoli - there are already skirmishes every day leaving people dead. Also in the south of Beirut, there are acts of violence. These are all signs that are to be taken seriously. "the wave of violence in Syria is not just for the neighbours of Lebanon and Syria a problem, says Father Samir Khalil. "In the Arab world, there are more divisions and conflicts than ever before. This is due to the radicalization of Islam in the region. This is the basic problem in the Arab world, which one has to actually tackle. It is not important whether one is in Iraq, Egypt or Syria. This radicalization has its roots in the attitude of Israel and its Western allies, for example in relation to occupied territories, such as the Golan Heights, which actually by international law belong to Syria. "

Background

The country receiving most refugees is Jordan with 491 912 registered or waiting to be registered. With the 495,776 refugees Lebanon, which itself only has four million inhabitants follows. In third place is Turkey with 377,154 Syrians. 51.4 per cent of asylum seekers are younger than 18


Source

Anglicans sell off former Catholic Churches

The sale of public art since the recession has rightly grabbed headlines. The loss of sculptures by Henry Moore or etchings by Picasso, often on view for generations, has generated handwringing from journalists and politicians, as well as bold attempts to save the works.

But at the same time as the purchases of Titian's Diana and Actaeon or Poussin's Sacraments are trumpeted as great rescues, dozens of buildings which are open to the public slip quietly into private ownership with barely a mention in the press. Nor are these insignificant works of architecture, some are precious parts of Britain's national heritage, often of exceptional antiquity or artistic quality.

Each year the Church of England sells off around 20 churches. There are, at the time of writing, 14 available for purchase, listed on a page of the Church's website entitled "Closed Churches Available For Disposal". Until recently, they were open to the public and consecrated for services, objects as important as anything in a national museum, but free to access and located all around the country. Now many will become private houses, bars or offices.

In Ufford, Peterborough, the grand, 14th Century church has slender piers and beautiful windows. Its stately font has been used to baptise the babies of the village for six centuries. The font at St Giles, Merston, near Chichester, is 300 years older still. Here the steep roof slopes down to enclose a tiny, chocolate-box church. Now, to use the Church of England's lingo, they are both "redundant"

Full story

Cathcon- they should give them back to the original owner.

Christian rule a dark chapter says Turkish PM

Turkey: Erdogan called Christian Byzantium a "dark chapter"

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the rule of the Christian Byzantines in Turkey today a "dark chapter". With the conquest of Constantinople and the victory over the Byzantine Empire in the 15th Century, the Muslim Ottomans started an "age of enlightenment" , Erdogan said on Wednesday, according to the German Catholic news agency KNA.

The Islamic-conservative Premier spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new highway bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul, on the anniversary of the conquest of Byzantium (Constantinople) which took place on 29 May 1453. "Today we are making history," Erdogan said in reference to the construction of the bridge, the third connection between Asia and Europe in Istanbul. The Istanbul authorities mark the anniversary of the victory over the Byzantines with traditional ceremonies and receptions.

Source

Cathcon- and he wants his country to be a member of the European Union!