Pope Francis answers three questions put to him by Fr. James Martin

[Stone]

Pope to LGBT Catholics: 'God is Father who does not disown any of his children'
Pope Francis answers three questions put to him by Jesuit Father James Martin whose pastoral ministry involves the LGBT community.

Vatican News | May 9, 2022


On 5 May Father Martin had written to the Pope in Spanish asking him to answer some questions that he is most commonly asked by LGBT Catholics and their families.

He received a hand-written response a couple of days afterward, that was published in the form of a short interview on Father Martin’s website “Outreach”.

“With respect to your questions,” the Pope wrote, “a very simple response occurs to me.”

Outreach: What would you say is the most important thing for LGBT people to know about God?

Pope Francis: God is Father and he does not disown any of his children. And “the style” of God is “closeness, mercy and tenderness.” Along this path you will find God.


Outreach: What would you like LGBT people to know about the Church?

Pope Francis: I would like for them to read the book of the Acts of the Apostles. There they will find the image of the living Church.


Outreach: What do you say to an LGBT Catholic who has experienced rejection from the Church?

Pope Francis: I would have them recognize it not as “the rejection of the church,” but instead of “people in the church.” The church is a mother and calls together all her children. Take for example the parable of those invited to the feast: “the just, the sinners, the rich and the poor, etc.” [Matthew 22:1-15; Luke 14:15-24]. A “selective” church, one of “pure blood,” is not Holy Mother Church, but rather a sect.


Pope's words in July 2021

Last year in July Pope Francis had sent Father Martin a letter on the occasion of the webinar “Outreach 2021” in which he said that “God is close to and loves each and every one of his children. His heart is open to all. He is the Father.”

"Thinking about your pastoral work," the Pope wrote, "I see that you continually try to imitate this style of God. You are a priest for everyone,  as God is Father of everyone. I pray for you that you may continue in this way, being close, compassionate and full tenderness."

"I pray for your faithful, your 'parishioners,'" the Pope had concluded, "for all those whom the Lord has placed beside you so that you may care for them, protect them and make them grow in  the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

+++

The following is from the SiSiNoNo series on the Errors of Vatican II, highlighting the error promoted by Pope Francis, which as always, stems from Vatican II ecclesiology:

• Vatican II is guilty of the deadly Article 39 in Gaudium et Spes which in the conclusion of its third chapter titled "Man's Activity in the Universe" (GS §§33-39), proposes a final perversion of the idea of the Kingdom of God taught by the Church. This Chapter III contains the outline of the idea of the collective salvation of humanity, and also that all of God's creation was made for man. This is achieved by misinterpreting Romans 8:21 to say that "all of creation," created by God to serve man, will equally obtain eternal salvation.
  
  We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man nor the way the universe will be transformed. The form of this world, distorted by sin, is passing away and we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, whose happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men. Then with death conquered the sons of God will be raised in Christ and what was sown in weakness and dishonor will put on the imperishable: charity and its works will remain and all of creation, which God made for man, will be set free from its bondage to decay (LG §39).
  
  Article 39 continues with another strange idea:
  

  We have been warned, of course, that it profits man nothing if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself. Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can continue to the better ordering of human society.

  
  This appears to mean that the "new earth" is already present in the "present earth," since "the body of the new human family grows [here], foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come." Take note that the prefiguring of the Kingdom of God is not given by the Church Militant (which is the orthodox teaching), but by the growth of "the body of a new family." And this growth of the body of a new human family is calculated on universal progress, universal fraternity, and to human and Christian freedom (LG§§13,36; GS §§30,34,38).
  
  This is to say, the Kingdom of God which is partially realized is this world, is no longer made up of the Church Militant, but of humanity. Humanity is the subject which brings about the Kingdom, and which will enter it one day en masse. In fact, Article 39 of LG concludes:
  

  When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise-human dignity, brotherly communion, and freedom-according to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once again, cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illuminated and transfigured, when Christ presents to his Father and eternal and universal kingdom "of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace." Here on earth the kingdom is mysteriously present; when the Lord comes it will enter into its perfection.

  
  This is a naturalistic, millenarian vision that calls for the religion of Humanity. It is completely foreign to anything the Catholic Church has ever taught. It is the complete antithesis to the exclusively supernatural reality of the Kingdom of God and of the consummation of the end of time which has been revealed to us by Our Lord and always maintained by the Church.