Vatican Sent Italian Children Born Out of Wedlock to America as Orphans; New Book Uncovers Program

Oct 14, 2024 | For decades, unwed mothers in Italy were pressured to give up children born out of wedlock. Thousands were sent to America. Now some families are reuniting and looking for answers.

Slur by Francis Lays Bare the Church’s Contradictions on Homosexuality

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The pope used homophobic slang and cautioned prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries. But ordination has also long been a refuge for gay faithful.

When reports spread that Pope Francis had used an offensive anti-gay slur while speaking to Italian bishops at a conference last month, many Catholics were both shocked and baffled. How could a pope known for his openness to and acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. people use homophobic slang and caution prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries?

But the question, and the apparent inconsistency in Francis’ messaging, reflect the deep contradictions and tensions that underlie the Roman Catholic Church’s and Francis’ relationship to homosexuality.

The church holds that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered.” When it comes to ordination, the church’s guidelines state that people with “deep-seated” gay tendencies should not become priests.

Yet ordination has also long been a refuge of sorts for homosexual Catholic men, according to researchers and priests, who say that at least thousands of clergymen are gay, though only a few are public about their sexual orientation because of the stigma it still carries in the church. » | Emma Bubola and Elisabetta Povoledo, Reporting from Rome | Saturday, June 22, 2024

Priests in the Closet

Nov 25, 2019 | Frédéric Martel is dragging them out—and calling out hypocrisy. | Frédéric Martel is being interviewed by David Marr.

Related.

«The Majority of the Vatican Priests Are Gay» | Sternstunde Religion | SRF Kultur | Reupload

Mar 31, 2020 | It is well known that the Vatican frowns upon men who love men. But that the centre of power of the Roman Catholic Church should at the same time be one of the largest gay communities worldwide was new to many when Frédéric Martel brought this thesis to the world in 2019.

After having published "In the Closet of the Vatican" simultaneously in eight languages, the French author and journalist was invited to countless talk shows, but the Vatican was shrouded in silence.

Whoever felt somehow different - just homosexual - as a young man in the 30s, 40s and 50s of the last century, found an oasis in the Roman Catholic Church, according to Martel. Men living among men, wearing different clothes and singing in a choir, that would have been the salvation for many, which was also accepted by society.

While most of the men Martel spoke to are very old, their world view remains: Homophobic on the outside, homophile on the inside. This led to a dangerous double standard, a culture of silence, which had very unhappily promoted the scandals around the Catholic Church.

Sternstunde Religion vom 29.3.2020


Die deutsche Version von diesem Interview befindet sich hier.

WIKIPEDIA:

Frédéric Martel »

Bénédiction des couples homosexuels : « Si ce changement est bienvenu, cela ne rassurera pas les catholiques qui se voient sans cesse rappelés à leur état de péché »

LE MONDE – TRIBUNE : Plusieurs militants d’associations chrétiennes de défense des droits des personnes homosexuelles saluent, dans une tribune au « Monde », l’autorisation par le Vatican des bénédictions des couples homosexuels, tout en s’inquiétant de la manière dont le clergé s’en saisira, faute d’avancées sur la doctrine. » | jeudi 28 décembre 2023 [€]

Pope Francis Approves Blessings for Same-sex Couples — If the Rituals Don’t Resemble Marriage

NEW YORK POST: ROME — Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it.

The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released Monday, elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October.

In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn’t confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage.

The new document repeats that rationale and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman.

And it stresses that blessings should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding. » | Associated Press | December 18, 2023

Vatican gives conditional approval to blessings for same-sex couples: Landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis would be a sign that God welcomes all, says Vatican »

Vatican Documents Show Secret Back Channel between Pope Pius XII and Adolf Hitler

Jun 7, 2022 | A series of recently opened Vatican archives are shedding new light on the relationship between Pope Pius XII and Adolf Hitler as he led Nazi Germany during World War II. A new book takes a deeper look at these revelations. Historian David Kertzer, author of “The Pope At War: The Secret History of Pope Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler,” joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

Pope Francis Suggests Gay Couples Could Be Blessed in Vatican Reversal

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Conservative cardinals had challenged the pope to confirm teachings on LGBTQ+ issues

Pope Francis appears to have reversed the Vatican’s position on the blessing of same-sex marriages by suggesting they could be possible in a note to conservative bishops. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Pope Francis has suggested there could be ways to bless same-sex unions, responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality ahead of a big meeting where LGBTQ+ Catholics are on the agenda.

The Vatican on Monday published a letter Francis wrote to the cardinals on 11 July after receiving a list of five questions, or dubia, from them a day earlier. In it, Francis suggests that such blessings could be studied if they did not confuse the blessing with sacramental marriage.

New Ways Ministry, which advocates for LGBTQ+ Catholics, said the letter “significantly advances” efforts to make LGBTQ+ Catholics welcomed in the church and represented “one big straw towards breaking the camel’s back” in their marginalisation. » | Associated Press | Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Conservative Catholics, Relegated to Sidelines, Denounce Papal Gathering: As bishops and laypeople from around the world prepared to gather at the Vatican, traditionalist Catholics who would not be among them staged their own show. »

The Vatican and the Third Reich: An Unholy Alliance

Jun 8, 2023 | In the midst of WWII, Catholics looked to the pope to guide them. Hitler had already begun secretly launching his plan to exterminate the Jews of Europe. Secretly, that is, to most- except Pope Pius XII. The pope remained silent whilst the rest of the world awaited any kind of grand gesture or speech condemning Hitler’s atrocities.

He chose to keep quiet in the face of the crimes committed by the Nazis throughout Europe, crimes that even took place below the Pope’s own windows, like the 1943 liquidation of the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, to which the pope made no official reaction.

At first glance, Nazism and Catholicism are diametrically opposed. The Vatican even seems an institution beyond all suspicion. The Church, however, faced in turn with the rise of Nazism, the Second World War and the extermination of Jews, will play an ambiguous – at times unholy – role. Several men of the Church, priests and bishops, being fervent admirers of Hitler, even fell into complicity…

Director: JULIETTE DESBOIS

Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital to Undergo Abdominal Surgery | DW News

Jun 7, 2023 | Pope Francis is going to the hospital for abdominal surgery, the Vatican said on Wednesday. Francis, who is 86, is to be put under general anesthesia and will be hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli hospital for several days. The Vatican said that the treatment for "recurrent, painful and worsening" intestinal constriction would entail a "laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis." The procedure is conducted by inserting surgical instruments through the abdominal cavity.

"The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery," it said. Earlier on Wednesday, Pope Francis held an audience in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City and also attended two meetings.


Related video.

Pope Francis to Undergo Surgery - BBC News

Jun 7, 2023 | Pope Francis will have surgery on his abdomen on Wednesday afternoon at Rome's Gemelli hospital. He is expected to stay in hospital for "several days" to recover from the hernia operation, the Vatican said. The hernia is "causing recurrent, painful and worsening" symptoms, added Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni. The 86-year-old has faced a series of health issues in recent years, and uses a cane and a wheelchair due to a persistent knee ailment.

Pope Francis Calls on Russians to Seek Truth about Ukraine Invasion | DW News

Apr 9, 2023 | Pope Francis has been leading Easter Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. Tens of thousands of Catholic faithful gathered to attend the celebration. After the Mass, the pontiff gave the traditional blessing "Urbi et Orbi." In his Easter message to the world, Pope Francis asked Russians to seek the truth about their country's invasion of Ukraine. He also appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, following recent violence. Pope Francis was recently hospitalized for bronchitis but it didn't stop him from presiding over the Easter Sunday ceremony.

The Raven Foundation: James Alison on Frédéric Martel's "In The Closet of the Vatican" | 2019

Mar 15, 2019 | "In The Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy" by Frédéric Martel reveals a mind-boggling paradox: that behind the official Church teaching that gay men are “objectively disordered”, inherently disposed towards “intrinsic moral evil” and not suited to the priesthood are closeted gay priests who have risen to top positions at the Vatican. In this interview with Suzanne Ross, Father James Alison, who is an openly gay Catholic priest, expresses his hope that the secrets exposed in this book will lead to a new level of honesty and transparency within the Catholic Church, resulting in freedom for gay priests to be fully themselves as they minister to church members. Father Alison also offers advice for people scandalized by the book that will comfort them and restore their faith.

Gay Priest: Roman Catholic Church 'Violently Homophobic' - BBC News | 2015

Oct 29, 2015 | A senior Vatican priest, Krzysztof Charamsa, stripped of his post after admitting being in a gay relationship, tells BBC News why he wrote to the Pope criticising the Church over its hypocrisy in banning gay priests.

Holy Smoke!

Pope Francis has issued his personal version of “Thank you for not smoking,” announcing a ban on the sale of cigarettes in the Vatican.
Many thanks to Breitbart.com on Pinterest for this great photo.
Holy Smoke! Pope Francis bans sale of cigarettes in Vatican: Pope Francis has issued his personal version of “Thank you for not smoking,” announcing a ban on the sale of cigarettes in the Vatican to go into effect in 2018. »

«Die Mehrheit der Priester im Vatikan ist schwul» | Sternstunde Religion | SRF Kultur | Reupload

Mit seiner These, wonach die Mehrheit der Prälaten, Bischöfe und Kardinäle des Vatikans schwul seien, generierte der französische Soziologe und Journalist Frédéric Martel im Frühling 2019 viel Aufmerksamkeit, aber auch Unverständnis.

Sein Buch «Sodom» erschien zeitgleich in acht Sprachen und Martel wurde in unzählige Talkshows eingeladen, doch der Vatikan hüllte sich in Schweigen. Wer sich in den 30er-, 40er- und 50er-Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts als junger Mann irgendwie anders – eben homosexuell – fühlte, fand in der römisch-katholischen Kirche eine Oase, so Martel in seinem Buch «Sodom»: Männer, die unter Männern leben, andere Kleidung tragen und singen, das wäre für viele die Rettung gewesen, die zudem noch von der Gesellschaft akzeptiert war.

Gegen aussen seien diese in der Regel sehr alten Männer nun homophob, gegen innen aber homophil. Dies führe zu einer gefährlichen Doppelmoral, einer Kultur des Schweigens, die die Skandale rund um die katholische Kirche sehr unglücklich begünstigt hätten.

Sternstunde Religion vom 29.3.2020


Frédéric Martel’s book, SODOMA is available in many languages. The book is a bestseller. I have bought it in French – the original language it was written in. I took delivery of it yesterday from Amazon.fr . I have already started reading it. It promises to be a very good and interesting read, too. Actually, it’s a long book; there are nearly a thousand pages. It is very well-researched. By all accounts, even Pope Francis has read it! – Mark

Here’s a link to the book on Amazon.fr .

Here is a link to the same programme in English.

Exposition : « Les Eglises et la Shoah », les réponses chrétiennes face à la déportation

LE MONDE : Quatre-vingts ans après la rafle du Vél’ d’Hiv, le Mémorial de la Shoah à Paris propose une exposition sur la réponse, plurielle, des chrétiens face à la déportation des juifs par les nazis.

Comment la Shoah a-t-elle pu se dérouler dans une Europe chrétienne attachée aux valeurs humanistes ? Comment interpréter la multitude de réactions des communautés chrétiennes ? Le Mémorial de la Shoah, à Paris, répond à ces questions en veillant à ne pas tomber dans la vision piégeuse d’une Eglise monolithique, préférant mettre en avant les initiatives individuelles de certains de ses membres.

A la lumière d’une historiographie renouvelée, en partie grâce à l’ouverture du fonds d’archives du Vatican, le Mémorial raconte d’abord la résistance chrétienne telle qu’elle s’est réellement mise en œuvre : du secret des établissements qui ont recueilli et caché des enfants juifs aux couvertures des journaux qui ont diffusé les appels de membres des Eglises, en s’exposant au risque d’être pris pour cibles et arrêtés. » | Par Fiona André | mercredi 31 août 2022

Article réservé aux abonnés

For Francis, a Papacy Complicated by the Shadow of Resignation

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Benedict’s exit changed expectations that the papacy would always be a lifetime assignment, fueling speculation the current pope has tried to push away.

Pope Francis led Mass for the Congolese community in Rome at the Vatican last week. In an interview published on Monday, Francis dispelled rumors of his resignation. | Remo Casilli/Reuters
ROME — Over the last few weeks, close watchers of the Roman Catholic Church have carefully studied shadows on the Vatican walls for proof that Pope Francis is about to retire.

They pointed at an unexpected move to create new cardinals in August as a sign that Francis, 85, was stacking the college that will pick his successor before an early exit. They read deep into his planned visit to an Italian town with a connection to a medieval pope who called it quits. They saw the pope’s use of a wheelchair and his cancellation of a trip to Africa as evidence of his papacy’s premature ending, despite Vatican explanations about a healing right knee.

But in an interview published on Monday, Francis dispelled the rumors, calling the supposed evidence mere “coincidences” and telling Reuters that the idea of resignation “never entered my mind. For the moment no. For the moment, no. Really.”

The only shadow that seemed real then was the one cast by Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pontiff to retire in nearly 600 years. In doing so, he changed the nature, and perception, of the papacy from a lifetime mission assigned by the Holy Spirit to a more earthly calling, subject to political pressures, health assessments and considerations about the church’s best interests. » | Jason Horowitz | Monday, July 4, 2022

Pope Deplores the War in Ukraine but Not the Aggressor

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Francis has raised his voice against “unacceptable armed aggression” without mentioning President Vladimir V. Putin or Russia. Some analysts say that he risks complicating his legacy.

Francis in Vatican City in February. The pope has worked hard to forge a rapprochement between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. | Maurizio Brambatti/EPA, via Shutterstock
ROME — The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis broke protocol and went directly to the Russian Embassy in the Holy See to appeal for peace. The next day he spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, offering him spiritual support. As the war intensified, he raised his voice against “unacceptable armed aggression” and the “barbarism of the killing of children.”

“In the name of God,” he declared Sunday, “I ask you: Stop this massacre!”

Whom, though, was Francis asking?

The Pope has studiously avoided naming President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, or even Russia itself, as the aggressor. And while he has said that whoever justifies violence with religious motivations “profanes the name” of God, he has avoided criticism of the war’s chief religious backer and apologist, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Unlike some European nationalists, who have suddenly blanked on Mr. Putin’s name to avoid reminding voters that they belonged to the Russian leader’s fan club, Francis’ motivation stems from his walking a fine line between global conscience, real-world diplomatic player and religious leader responsible for his own flock’s safety. » | Jason Horowitz | Friday, March 18, 2022

What a cop out! – Mark

Gay Priest Comes Out at Vatican, Is Immediately Fired

Oct 3, 2015 • Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa is calling on the Vatican to publicly change its stance on homosexuality

Related.