As Pope trashes canon law, the penitential system and Catholic moral teaching, theologian says homosexual couples need, not mercy, but recognition ot their sexual gift
Zulehner: Opening up to homosexuals is not a question of mercy
Cathcon: Oh how quickly mercy for all has been transformed by the modernists into permission for all.
Viennese pastoral theologian: Pope looks less at the law and more at individual cases - the concept of marriage is changing - Rainbow Pastoral Chairman Harant: Despite mercy, "legal uncertainty" remains for homosexual couples and pastors
Homosexuality is not a “divine botch, certainly not a sin”: Homosexual couples therefore do not need mercy, but recognition of their “sexual gift”. With these words, the Viennese pastoral theologian Michael Zulehner commented on Tuesday in his blog zulehner.wordpress.com about the Pope's response to inquiries from conservative cardinals ("Dubia"). A “pastoral of mercy” is more important to the Pope than “justice to the letter,” said Zulehner to Francis, who called for sensitivity and prudence in pastoral care regarding the blessing of homosexual couples. For the head of Rainbow Pastoral Austria, Franz Harant, Pope Francis is showing himself to be a “pastor who thinks and acts pastorally”.
For Francis, what counts is less the law and more the individual case, Zulehner concluded: "He is for integration and not exclusion." At the same time, the Viennese theologian considered it “derogatory” to plead for mercy towards same-sex lovers. Their orientation does not require mercy, but rather a revised church teaching, similar to the issues of capital punishment or just war.
Regarding the Pope's statement that there are situations "that are morally unacceptable from an objective point of view," the theologian pointed out that there can certainly be sin in "specific homosexual activities and relationships" - as well as in heterosexual ones. The core question of all “erotic-sexual love relationships” is the same and revolves around the “intermingling of the symbolic/personal and physical sides”.
Love instead of reproduction
In the debate, Zulehner also spoke out in favor of the assessments of Biblical scholars: "Couldn't it be that a time that was highly interested in the reproduction of life viewed all non-reproductive forms of sexual activity as reprehensible and sinful? Onanism as well as homosexuality?" That would not have made homosexuality a sin in biblical times, but rather the “refusal to reproduce life.”
Today, however, there is overpopulation. According to Zulehner, this means that the generative side of sexuality takes a back seat and love comes to the fore. For the emeritus Viennese professor of pastoral theology, this is "probably the reason that same-sex couples not only want to have a blessing, but also want to enter into a 'marriage'." Zulehner sees a profound change in the concept of marriage here, "because it is now only about love, no longer about children."
Lived reality versus legal uncertainty
“A same-sex couple can still end up with a pastor who refuses a blessing for doctrinal reasons,” said the Linz priest, Franz Harant, to “Kathpress” on Tuesday. Because even if "nothing has to be done 'illegally in secret'" there will still be "legal uncertainty," pointed out the long-time chairman of the Austrian Rainbow Pastoral.
The Pope's words showed that the Pope was aware of doctrine and ideals "that the Church does not abandon or change so easily", but at the same time also that people cannot always live up to all ideals. This tension is not resolved in the currently published Pope's response, said Harant. Ultimately, it is important to provide pastoral support to all LGBTIQ* people, through personal conversations or liturgical activities.
Basically, a blessing request from same-sex couples is an expression of faith and lived spirituality, especially relationship spirituality, explained Harant. With the desire for a life of responsible love and reliable loyalty, same-sex oriented people would also be no different from heterosexual people.
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