I have observed the misery of my people . . . ;
I have heard their cry. . . .
Indeed, I know their sufferings,
and I have come down to deliver them (Exod 3:7f).
8. Cardinal Ratzinger’s Intrinsically
Disordered Thoughts on Homosexuality
Cardinal Ratzinger, when he headed up the CDF, pushed through his anti-gay agenda, and ever since then it has poisoned the atmosphere within the RCC. At no point were the bishops or international Catholic scholars brought into the decision-making loop. One man decided his disordered fears of homosexuality were beyond examination and he arrogantly bypassed any consultation and collaboration outside his like-minded circle. Twenty years later, “faithful” bishops are abusing their power by ramrodding this defective teaching into the curriculum and into the minds of all teachers. This is a SHAMEFUL practice that has caused immense suffering and divisiveness. Surely this is not the Gospel of Jesus in action. . . . [on my facebook in protest of the bishops who are forcing teachers to sign an oath not to support homosexual marriages].
Given the importance of this issue, I have expanded this topic into a paperback of 250 pp. and have created a blog devoted to this topic.
WHAT JESUS WOULD SAY TO SAME-SEX COUPLES (2019 revised and expanded): Nonviolent Resistance to the Christian Taliban
by Aaron Milavec
My exposition of this very sensitive topic will be divided into five chapters.
Ch1 Early experiences and how my mind has changed
I begin with my personal experience because, when everything is said and done, my concrete encounters with homosexuals massively impact how I register their place in society and in the churches. In this, there is no neutral starting point for me or for anyone else. No matter how many degrees one has earned or how many ordinations that one has experienced, no one can escape their personal experiential base. Anyone denying this is not sufficiently self-aware and cannot be trusted.
Ch2 How the bible and Cardinal Ratzinger treat and mistreat homosexuals
Next I will introduce you to Matthew Vines’ marvelous skill and disarming authenticity in probing the limits of using the bible to discover God’s view on homosexuality. Immediately thereafter I will unravel the dangerous flaws found in Cardinal Ratzinger’s arguments against same-sex marriages. This section will unmask the hidden fallacies found in the Catholic and evangelical Protestant claims to have found God’s point of view.
Ch3 How John J. McNeill, Pope Francis, and the US Supreme Court will save our future
Finally, I will use case studies to expose how current authoritarian approaches serves to destroy communities and to defeat the very goals that their exponents hope to achieve. I borrow from John McNeill, Pope Francis, and the US Supreme Court healthy points of departure that enable Christian communities to reaffirm the wisdom of Jesus and to bind up the wounds of all our children. I even offer a healing balm to bitter opponents.
Ch4 Nonviolent Resistance to the Christian Taliban
As I circulated my first three chapters, I heard from readers who were disgusted with the intimidation and firings surrounding those who support same-sex marriages. They are, in some instances, angry as hell and are ready to take some action to fight against the menace of the fundamentalists. For them, this chapter was written.
Ch5 Jesus’ Response to Fundamentalism
Our struggle against fundamentalism needs all the help we can get from Jesus. When the Gospels are explored, it is clear that homosexuality and same-sex marriages do not show up. However, what one does discover is that Jesus did confront Jewish fundamentalists in his day; hence, we have much to learn from Jesus’ own nonviolent resistance.
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REVIEW by Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D. Co-director, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER)
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REVIEW by Rev. Tony Flannery, C.S.S.R. Co-founder of the [Irish] Association of Catholic Priests (ACP)
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If you know anyone who would appreciate a book like this, please consider copying and pasting this description (above) into an email, or better yet, forwarding to them your review.
Peace and joy as the Spirit of Jesus dwells among us,
Aaron
P.S.: Please consider writing a short review. Just click on the “Write a Review” button found on the Amazon page.
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“There is no avoiding the challenge and the obligation of discernment; “blind obedience,” i.e., uncritical submission to power, is neither discernment nor obedience.”
~ Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM, STD
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
~ Eli Wiesel
Case of a Priest Denying Communion to a Lesbian Couple
She’s been an active church member for over a decade, but then the priest found out she’s has a lesbian partner…. act.faithfulamerica.orgThis is hateful conduct and should never have a place during the Eucharist which celebrates the life and teachings of Jesus. If Jesus was openly a friend to prostitutes and tax collectors in his day, how much more readibly would he be a friend to lesbians and gays in our day. It is absolutely hateful how Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger misused his office to impose his disordered thoughts on homosexuality on his Church.
When asked about the homosexual life style , Pope Francis said, “It is not for me to judge.” Listen and learn. . . . [taken from my facebook]
Another Case
The new priest had only been at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Lewistown, Montana, for four days when he discovered that a gay couple in the congregation had married last year.
He gave them an ultimatum: Either divorce and renounce their marriage, he told Paul Huff and Tom Wotjowick, or the two lifelong Catholics would be banned from church ministries and from receiving communion.
Paul and Tom have been in a committed relationship for 30 years. Devoted Catholics, they play music at service and sing in the choir, and they never publicized their marriage. Already, as many as 40 of their fellow congregants have spoken out or quit attending mass in protest.
So far the local bishop is backing the parish priest, even though he acknowledges that Paul and Tom are “good people.”
Sign the petition: Paul Huff and Tom Wotjowick’s treatment by their parish priest flies in the face of Pope Francis’s call for a more compassionate church. Please immediately apologize for threatening to deny them communion and allow them to resume volunteering at their parish.
How did the Catholic Church get into this position? This is a long and complex story. Patriarchy and homophobia go together.
Some ten years ago, I asked Jessica, my eighteen-year old daughter, whether she wanted to invite any of her school chums to join our family for our Mass and breakfast on Sunday morning. She responded, “I can’t do that, Dad.”
“Oh, and why not?” I responded
“Many of my friends are struggling, as you know, with their sexual orientation. I can’t risk having them being slammed by something nasty that our priest might say about homosexuals.”
Her words stopped me short. They brought sadness to my heart, for I knew that it was true.
Then came Pope Francis who, during his airplane interview of 29 July 2013, addressed this situation saying, “Who am I to judge?” This same Francis later insisted with the planners that the Extraordinary Synod on the Family would have “lots of discussion.” Thus, at the Synod, bishops who had been intimidated by the “intrinsically disordered” doctrine of Cardinal Ratzinger began to speak up. The midterm Synod report noted that homosexuals “have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community” and that “homosexual unions” sometime demonstrate “mutual assistance to the point of sacrifice,” a quality that distinguishes Jesus’ love for his disciples/church. My heart was uplifted.
By the end of the second week, however, bishops who wanted the doctrine of the Church expressed unambiguously had won the day. Here’s what was reported in the Jesuit magazine, America:
Synod fathers voted on each of the document’s 62 paragraphs. All received a simple majority, but three failed to gain the two-thirds supermajority ordinarily required for approval of synodal documents.
Two of those paragraphs dealt with a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper that would make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion. . . .
The document’s section on homosexuality, which also fell short of supermajority approval, was significantly changed from its counterpart in the midterm report. The original section heading—”welcoming homosexuals”—was changed to “pastoral attention to persons with homosexual orientation.” A statement that same-sex unions can be a “precious support in the life of the partners” was removed.
The final report quoted a 2003 document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: “There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
Cardinal Pell had slammed down his fist and vowed to stop those “attempting to hijack the Synod.” He and his faithful lamp-lighters had even succeeded in bringing the CDF into the core document. “We cannot change doctrine,” is their rallying cry.
At Mass last Sunday, I noticed Margaret, a pious fifty-year-old housewife with four children. She confided in me that she prays that at least one of her children will turn out to be gay or lesbian. When I inquire as to why, she says, “Because I feel especially called to nurture a child who has received such a rare gift from God.”
Then I imagine Pope Francis had given her four minutes to address the Synod. . . . She ends, saying: “This inspiration of mine: where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” (Matt 21:25)
Also, at communion, I noticed that some take the body of Christ but refuse the cup. Nancy is among them. She warned me against ‘the homo-germs left on the rim of the chalice by closet homosexuals who have no shame and presume to receive communion.’
Then I imagined that Pope Francis had also given Nancy her four minutes to address the Synod . . . not to inspire them but to reveal the homophobic underground working within the Church.
But, by the end of Mass, my thoughts include both “rocks” to “rocking.” I sense that I am in the midst of a social revolution that is ‘rocking’ the barque of Peter as it perilously attempts to cross over ‘to the other side.’ Jesus is sleeping ‘like a rock’ at the back of the boat (Mark 4:35 and par.). In my fear, I want to awaken him. . . .
Some Lost Sayings of Jesus
Aaron Milavec, 30 June 1997 “Women Writing for a Change”
Now Jesus and his disciples entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. As he entered, Martha warmly embraced and kissed her beloved sister, Mary. Jesus said to them, “I admire you and your love for each another.”
“Mary is my true soul-mate,” Martha explained, “And we joyously embrace each other without any thought or need of a man.”
“This is well,” the Lord said, “for the Creator has wonderfully made you and blessed you with the singular love that binds two women into one flesh.” And, embracing them with his blessing, he joyfully reclined with them at table.
Now some of his disciples were scandalized at this and later asked him privately, “How can you tolerate this? No women can be fruitful and multiply without a man!”
“You have little understanding,” Jesus said to them. “Have you not observed that many a man joins himself to his wife while, at the same time, he kills her soul with the indifference or cruelty in his heart? Behold, however, these two daughters of God have wondrously opened their souls to each other, and they have become abundantly fruitful in the recesses of their hearts. I say to you, therefore, the Lord will surely invite women such as these to take the best places in the banquet which is to come while many men claiming to be fruitful will be cast outside where they will weep and gnash their teeth.”
++++++++++++++++++
And a man in the crowd shouted out, “Blessed are you men for you have managed to free yourselves from the snares of beautiful women and from the bother of children.”
“More blessed,” called back Jesus with a playful laugh, “is the man whose heart has been totally captivated by the love of a woman such that he thoroughly enjoys himself surrendering to her and playing with her children.”
++++++++++++++++++
Later, when they were alone, his disciples peppered him with questions, and he taught everything to them plainly saying: “Where men are gathered together, you will frequently hear men boast how they have subdued a woman without themselves having been subdued. Do not be taken in by such talk! The soul of a man is lost to himself and to God as well if he cannot reveal himself entirely to the woman he loves. Only in the arms of a women where the tears of his brokenness and tears of his joy mix will a true man find the balm necessary for the healing of his soul.”
“And to what mistakes are women prone?” asked Suzanna, his most reflective disciple.
“You, my dear Suzanna,” replied Jesus, “must speak of these mysteries to me such that I can learn from you. The Son of Man has come to reveal all things, yet, even the Son of Man cannot know all things unless he listens deeply to the experiences of women.” And Jesus said this quite openly because he knew in his heart that some of the men following him secretly despised the inner life of women.
Further Resources
The Church’s Gay Obsession
by Frank Bruni
Homosexuality and the Message of Isaiah
by Frederick J. Gaiser
Gay Irish Priest Comes Out To Parishioners — And Gets A Surprising Response
by Carol Kuruvilla of The Huffington Post 12 Jan 2015
New Approaches to LGBT People
by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
Archbishop: School that fired gay teacher showed ‘character’
by Mary Claire Dale
Archbishop orders priests to deny Communion to dissenters
byJohn Gehring for Yahoo News
Chris,
Some ten years ago, I asked Jessica, my eighteen-year old daughter, whether she wanted to invite any of her school chums to join our family for our Mass and breakfast on Sunday morning. She responded, “I can’t do that, Dad.”
“Oh, and why not?” I responded
“Many of my friends are struggling, as you know, with their sexual orientation. I can’t risk having them being slammed by something nasty that our priest might say about homosexuals.”
Her words stopped me short. They brought sadness to my heart, for I knew that it was true.
Then came Pope Francis who, during his airplane interview, addressed this situation saying, “Who am I to judge?” This same Francis later insisted with the planners that the Extraordinary Synod on the Family would have “lots of discussion.” Thus, at the Synod, bishops who had been intimidated by the “intrinsically disordered” doctrine of Cardinal Ratzinger began to speak up. The midterm Synod report noted that homosexuals “have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community” and that “homosexual unions” sometime demonstrate “mutual assistance to the point of sacrifice,” a quality that distinguishes Jesus’ love for his disciples/church. My heart was uplifted.
By the end of the second week, however, bishops who wanted the doctrine of the Church expressed unambiguously had won the day. Here’s what was reported in the Jesuit magazine, America:
Synod fathers voted on each of the document’s 62 paragraphs. All received a simple majority, but three failed to gain the two-thirds supermajority ordinarily required for approval of synodal documents.
Two of those paragraphs dealt with a controversial proposal by German Cardinal Walter Kasper that would make it easier for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion. . . .
The document’s section on homosexuality, which also fell short of supermajority approval, was significantly changed from its counterpart in the midterm report. The original section heading—”welcoming homosexuals”—was changed to “pastoral attention to persons with homosexual orientation.” A statement that same-sex unions can be a “precious support in the life of the partners” was removed.
The final report quoted a 2003 document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: “There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
Cardinal Pell had slammed down his fist and vowed to stop those “attempting to hijack the Synod.” He and his faithful lamp-lighters had even succeeded in bringing the CDF into the core document. “We cannot change doctrine,” is their rallying cry.
At Mass last Sunday, I noticed Margaret, a pious fifty-year-old housewife with four children. She confided in me that she prays that at least one of her children will turn out to be gay or lesbian. When I inquire as to why, she says, “Because I feel especially called to nurture a child who has received such a rare gift from God.”
Then I imagine Pope Francis had given her four minutes to address the Synod. . . . She ends, saying: “This inspiration of mine: where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” (Matt 21:25)
Also, at communion, I noticed that some take the body of Christ but refuse the cup. Nancy is among them. She warned me against ‘the homo-germs left on the rim of the chalice by closet homosexuals who have no shame and presume to receive communion.’
Then I imagined that Pope Francis had also given Nancy her four minutes to address the Synod . . . not to inspire them but to reveal the homophobic underground working within the Church.
But, by the end of Mass, my thoughts include both “rocks” to “rocking.” I sense that I am in the midst of a social revolution that is ‘rocking’ the bark of Peter as it perilously attempts to cross over ‘to the other side.’ Jesus is sleeping ‘like a rock’ at the back of the boat (Mark 4:35 and par.). In my fear, I awaken him. In my fear, I awaken him. He challenges me saying, “Why are you afraid?”
Fraternally,
Aaron
The part at the end (lost lessons from Jesus) is written as if it is from the Bible however, it is not like any Bible verse I have seen before. May I know where you got them from?
Dear Vimbainahse,
Thanks for writing.
The question of sources is one thing, but the key issue is whether one has here the true message of Jesus. What do you say?
My latest book intends to reply to all of your questions.
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Peace and joy,
Aaron
Dear Vimbainashe,
You know that the NT includes four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, etc.
But did you know that today we have over 50 Gospels that were written in the first three centuries? Jesus made a big impact with his teaching. He had the good sense not to write anything down and not to commission anyone to do so “in his name.” But once the early followers began listening to the wisdom and guidance found in stories about Jesus, it was just a matter of time before Mark gathered together a whopping sixteen chapters of such stories. Matthew and Luke added more fresh material and produced even longer books. Once this caught on, there was no stopping it! Or was there?
Get the full story here=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel
Glad you asked,
Aaron