Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovetv
This statement, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” does not refer to priests who made vows of celibacy but choose to have sexual relations. It refers to all human beings in general, regarding their faith.
It says in another way that only God knows a person's heart and and only He knows the honesty/integrity of the person's faith, and that the pope does not judge the validity/truthfulness of the person's faith.
The pope does have the right/authority to "judge" (identify and call to repentance) any person whose chosen behavior defies God by breaking His Commandments.
It would be grossly mistaken to conclude that the pope and Catholic doctrine will no longer deem homosexual behavior to be prohibited, condemnable and alienating from God.
Within the general human population, there is a subset of people (priests) over whom the Pope does have authority to declare their homosexual behavior to be prohibited and condemnable. This thread was mis-titled I think, by focusing on priests.
As for the pope's statement saying "who am I to judge (a person's faith), a priest can be homosexual in his being and mental/emotional attractions to others without being "judged" by the pope or God, but the behavior of acting upon those attractions and having sexual relations is prohibited.
As always, people tend to interpret religious doctrine to make it fit their personal and political wants, instead of conforming to what God wants and what the Church teaches in order to draw the person nearer to God and his perfection in eternity.
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I'm not sure how any of your statements change the facts about this important shift in the church's position on gays.
In the first paragraph you could extend Francis' statement to include more than gay priests. If that were true it wouldn't change anything, but it would make the shift even more global.
Next paragraph is a bulls-eye, and a virtual restatement of my position.
Next paragraph misses the point. Francis says he will not judge people. It says nothing of judging behavior.
Next paragraph - answered above. In fact the Pope and other church leaders have the authority to judge the behavior of any Catholic.
Next paragraph - ok, you again distinguish between a group of people and human behavior. That's the idea.
Last paragraph - Not sure to whom you are referring and how it fits this issue.