Shirtless Angels greet the Pope

Angel protesters that greeted Pope Benedict XVI in England.

Towleroad and The Advocate are proselytizing in a way we here at QfN have never seen before… just kidding!

However, The Advocate and Towleroad both features postings about the angels that greeted Pope Benedict XVI in Twickenham, England at St. Mary’s University. The Advocate shared the following about the angel protest:

According to London’sTelegraph, guests coming to see the pope were met by three men wearing gold wings, Speedos, and nothing more. The men told the crowd they were pushing for the church to be more accepting of gay people.

Read more on Towleroad or The Advocate about the angels.

The Benedict affront: Pope criticizes non-discrimination law

With all of the news coming out of the United Kingdom over the past week in preparation for the Pope’s visit, QfN has been combing through articles and releases looking for the most interesting and pertinent material. In today’s Guardian, Polly Toynbee has an intriguing editorial that poses serious questions regarding the Supreme Pontiff’s visit to the United Kingdom.

Though the Pope’s visit is centered around the beatification of Cardinal Newman, many people including Toynbee are asking whether this is merely an affront for the Pope to criticize the progressive advancements that have been made by British lawmakers. Polly Toynbee writes with a voice of truth and charity in her editorial where she writes:

Repression of sex, banning contraception, gay rights, abortion, stem-cell research and IVF treatment cause untold misery. Not to the “liberal” Catholics who proclaim for reform and use contraception themselves – as Cherie Blair so distastefully revealed – yet support a church whose denial of it damages and kills poor mothers with no choice. As Ben Goldacre pointed out in this paper on Saturday, while this pope claims condoms “aggravate the problem” of HIV/Aids, two million die a year. Ann Widdecombe’s riposte that the Catholic church runs more Aids clinics than any single nation was like suggesting the Spanish Inquisition ran the best rehab clinics for torture victims.

Reading Toynbee’s editorial reminded me how truly out of touch the Vatican is with the real-world. Although the Roman Catholic Church is an ancient institution, it does evolve at a very slow pace. One need only reference the Second Vatican Council which although it took place nearly 50 years ago, has still not be fully implemented.

Rome’s teachings regarding homosexuality and contraception are detrimental to the lives of people in developing and industrialized countries. Whether we consider the treatment of gays and lesbians in Eastern Europe or those on the African continent, the Magisterium’s teachings have dramatic effects on how local cultures perceive homosexuality. In many societies, this has led to discriminatory laws and in some cases to the persecution of gay people. It is time for the Magisterium and the Church as a global body to reflect on the impact of “doctrine” on the lives of the innocent. The Roman Catholic Church must own and take responsibility for the impact of its teachings.

As the Pope prepares to arrive in the United Kingdom, statements criticizing non-discrimination laws such as those protecting gays and lesbians, draws into question the intent of the Pontiff’s visit. These comments are not solely limited to Rome itself, but rather extend to the Church’s leadership in the United Kingdom. Toynbee writes that:

The director of pastoral affairs in the Westminster diocese, Edmund Adamus, says Britain has become a “selfish hedonistic wasteland” of sex and secularism.

Let us hope that the Pope’s visit to the United Kingdom will help him to realize that Britain is not a “selfish hedonistic wasteland” nor does it “violate natural law” but rather it exposes the humanity of all people by providing protections for marginalized populations.

Pope speaks against gay marriage; is anyone listening?

Well, we must admit that we here at Queer Faith News (QfN) are always listening to what comes out of Rome.

As many of you know, the Pope is preparing for the first state visit to the United Kingdom since the 16th Century! Wow! This story is worth following based on the historical significance alone. With that in mind, no story involving the Vatican or the Pope would be complete without some type of public statement on homosexuality.

Bloomberg featured an article this morning about the Pope’s comments as he prepares for his trip to the United Kingdom on gay marriage and biotechnology. In speaking to the press, the Pope said that the Roman Catholic Church “cannot approve of legal initiatives that imply a re-evaluation of the life of the couple and the family.”

In referencing gay marriage directly, the Supreme Pontiff said that legalized same-sex marriages “contribute to the weakening of the principles of natural law” and to “confusion about society’s values.” I’m not sure if Rome is qualified to comment on the “confusion about society’s values” in light of recent controversies in the Church, but that is only my opinion (not the opinion of QfN). I think we need only reconsider the Vatican’s stance on viewing the ordination of women and pedophilia as equal in their offense against God. That confuses me and I’m sure many members of the worldwide Church.

Read the entire article on Bloomberg.

The United Kingdom prepares for Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

As the United Kingdom prepares for Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival, Queer Faith News (QfN) will try and provide timely updates by linking to interesting articles related to the Pontiff’s visit to the United Kingdom.

The Case for the Pope in The Guardian (09/10/2010)

Can’t we set old hatreds aside and simply welcome the Pope? in The Telegraph (09/10/2010)

More to come as the arrival date draws nearer.

– QfN

Dr. Mirus argues homosexuality is an example of the “deficiencies, defects and disorders” that humans encounter

Dr. Jeff Mirus, President of Catholic Culture

It is of course to no surprise that Catholic Culture features an article that attempts to paint homosexuality as a deficiency, defect, and disorder. Wait! Deficiency? Defect? Disorder? Are you serious Dr. Mirus? Lets look at each of these “descriptive” words in some depth:

A deficiency refers to a lack of something. What are gay and lesbian people lacking? Ah, that’s right equality. Okay, so far I agree with your observation.

A defect refers to a shortcoming, a lack, or imperfection. Yes, on this descriptive word regarding homosexuality, I must agree. I am sure that you apply this word as it applies to the anti-gay laws that exist in particular states and areas regarding the ability of GLBT people to adopt children or perhaps you are drawing attention to the lack of benefits that GLBT people have regarding visiting their spouse in the hospital.

Lastly, you claim that homosexuality is an example of a disorder. This word refers to a state of confusion. I hope you are not referring to my living room! On this application of a descriptive word, I must disagree. The only disorder I see, is your own confusion in somehow thinking that gay marriage will affect your own marriage (if you are indeed married) or society at large.

These explanations are far from what Dr. Mirus actually presents in his article on Catholic Culture. Mirus’s article is instead an attack on gay and lesbians that relentlessly argues that homosexuality is a deficiency, disorder, and a defect. It is a very sad day when a man that purports to be a Catholic, spends his time criticizing and condemning other human beings. It’s intriguing how Dr. Mirus thinks he is worthy to condemn those who were created as homosexuals by God in His image and likeness.

So what does Dr. Mirus present in his article? Here is a very telling excerpt:

He or she must not merely integrate, control and channel sexual inclinations, but must largely deny them altogether, not only in their physical expression, but also in a far broader range of affectivity which is conditioned even in small ways by sexual interplay: Heightened interest, a sense of romance, a special tenderness. It is true that a celibate priest must be very careful of what we might call sexually-tinged affectivity, on the altogether sound theory that one thing leads to another. But the person with persistent homosexual inclinations must suppress or redirect such inclinations to an even greater extent. This is an enormous challenge.

And here is an excerpt from the section where he tries to explain why homosexuality is disordered:

In a cultural vacuum, it ought to be relatively easy to understand intellectually that homosexual inclinations are disordered. It ought to be fairly clear that the sexual faculties are both naturally ordered to the propagation and preservation of the species and supernaturally ordered toward a kind of union among man, woman and child which mirrors the essential fecundity of Divine love. When one notices that one’s own sexual inclinations do not tend toward this sort of union and fecundity—or even this ability to reproduce—then one can perceive a very definite disorder in those inclinations. There may be something one can do to alter them; they may be a very confused set of inclinations which are bound up with past experiences or habits, and so amenable to change as one comes to terms with these experiences or habits. Or there may be no way to eliminate the inclinations at all. Nonetheless, that they are disordered can be intellectually grasped.

Read the entire “analysis” by Dr. Mirus online at Catholic Culture’s website.

Feel free to contact Dr. Mirus with your thoughts at http://www.catholicculture.org/contact/.

Gay Catholic Priest to speak at Rally against Pope in London

Pope Benedict XVI

Fr. Bernard Lynch, a Roman Catholic Priest in the United Kingdom, is to speak at the “Protest the Pope Rally.” According to a press release sent out announcing the priest’s presence at the rally, Alan Knowles of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association’s leadership stated:

“As humanists we welcome the opportunity to work with those from all religions – and none – to protest against the State visit of Pope Benedict who has attacked and undermined LGBT Rights on so many occasions.”

So why is Fr. Lynch protesting against the Supreme Pontiff, Benedict XVI?

Father Lynch says he is still proud to b a Roman Catholic priest, but that he regards the Vatican’s policy regarding HIV/Aids and contraception as “evil and anti-gospel.”

Read the entire release online at UK Gay News.

Today’s Church Bulletin, September 5, 2010: Thousands rally against gay marriage in CA, Pope prepares for trip to UK — converts ready?

Pope Benedict XVI

Today’s headlines feature two interesting articles:

First is an article exploring a rally that took place yesterday in California against gay marriage and abortion. The rally was called “The Call to Conscience” and was organized by Lou Engle. Here is an interesting excerpt that includes a statement by Engle:

“If marriage is going to be upheld between a man and a woman, which we believe is the best for families and children and society, then right now, it seems we need divine intervention,” Engle said in an interview between appearances on stage. “That’s part of the reason we’re coming here, to pray, but also to take a stand and be a prophetic voice to stand for truth.”

Read the entire article online at The San Francisco Chronicle.

A second article is not directly on GLBT issues, but still interesting and relevant. As you may know (I sure hope you know), the Pope is to visit the United Kingdom next week. In preparing for the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church’s arrival, The Daily Telegraph has an interesting article about the critics that Benedict XVI faces upon his arrival in the UK. This paragraph helps to understand those criticizing the Pope:

Threats of a citizen’s arrest; protests from survivors of priestly abuse and the gay rights lobby; some spectacular organisational bungling on the part of the Catholic hierarchy in this country: nothing can dent the sheer joy felt by many of Britain’s four million Catholics at the prospect of seeing the Pope in their midst. In what must count as the annus horribilis of the Church, when every day seemed to bring fresh revelations of abuse by priests of their young charges, the Catholic faithful are hungry for reassurance. Apart from a miracle – Richard Dawkins’s Damascene conversion? Cardinal Newman, resurrected, fulminating at the next gathering of the British Humanist Association? – the papal visit, with its pomp and picnics, is the best means to restore hope and rekindle faith.

The article continues by reminding readers that this papal visit will be very different than that made by his predecessor, John Paul II:

This will be a very different papal visit. When Benedict XVI lands at Edinburgh airport on September 16, he will not drop to his knees and kiss the ground, as his predecessor did. This is not only because the octogenarian pontiff is physically frail and less of a showman, but because the grand romance of that gesture would strike a false note today.

Read the entire article on The Daily Telegraph.

And the winning article is “Gay and lesbian Christians criticize plans to disrupt pope’s visit” in The Guardian from September 1, 2010. “Disagree with respect” is the mantra of UK’s GLBT Christians as they prepare for the arrival of the Pope. The article explains that GLBT Christians are encouraging their non-Christian brothers and sisters to voice their criticisms, but not to do so in a way which would be disrespectful to the Pope. We agree with the call to “disagree with respect” — we catch more with honey than vinegar 🙂