From the Christian Post:
The Rev. Franklin Graham slammed Pope Francis for approving a measure that will allow Roman Catholic priests to offer blessings to same-sex couples, warning that such ‘blessings’ will not ‘save you from the judgment of God . . . “
‘The Good News is that right now God will forgive sin, but we have to come to Him His way, on His terms — by repenting of our sins and placing our faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.’
Good, plain speaking here; there is no mistaking the Rev’d Graham’s point of view on this contentious matter.
Now for a depressing, yet still entertaining contrast: from the Introduction to Fiducia supplicans by Cardinal Fernandez, presumably speaking for (and like!) the Holy Father:
The value of this document, however, is that it offers a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, permitting a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings, which is closely linked to a liturgical perspective. Such theological reflection, based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis, implies a real development from what has been said about blessings in the Magisterium and the official texts of the Church. This explains why this text has taken on the typology of a “Declaration.”
Got that? And that is only a small sampling of the tortured, duplicitous phrasing found in the document. It seems to your Tatler the purpose of the torrent of verbiage spewing from Fiducia Supplicans is to inform Catholics and the world, in the most convoluted, oblique manner imaginable, a blessing means whatever Pope Francis wants it to mean and that priests may regard them in the same willy-nilly manner when blessing a same-sex marriage; those blessings are somehow different from the blessings bestowed on marriages between a man and woman. Or are they? Who knows?
In this matter, the very Protestant clarity of The Rev’d Graham’s holds sway.
h/t William J. Tighe.
. . .
See also: The icing on the Cake.
h/t GR.
The Taos Tatler 