The Christian Post‘s Op-Ed Contributor Michael Brown recently penned an article discussing Pope Francis’ December 18, 2023 pronouncement in support of the blessing of same-sex couples by Catholic priests. It’s critical to recognize the worldwide role of the Catholic Church in standing for the sanctity of life and the meaning of marriage. Brown’s article rhetorically asks, what act of apostacy will be next?
As for the notion that the church’s blessings of LGBTQ+ couples are acceptable as long as they don’t transmit a “wrong conception of marriage” – is the Pope asserting that it’s possible for a gay couple to live together, to be emotionally and physically intimate, and to commit to lifelong faithfulness WITHOUT transmitting a wrong conception of marriage? [NOTE: Common sense alone should answer this question.]
LGBTQ+ activism now affects school children in nursery schools through college campuses and is reflected everywhere in society, including our governments, social media, sports, television and the business world. Pope Francis’ recent assertion that the Catholic Church’s blessing of same-sex couples “would not rise to the level of church-sanctioned same-sex marriages” so long as such blessings do not transmit a “wrong conception” of marriage is confusing – to say the least.
The Christian Post article may be read HERE.
My brothers and sisters, please understand that FGGAM’s ministry is one of unity in the Christian faith and nothing read here should be interpreted to represent an attack on the Catholic Church or its faithful believers in Jesus Christ! Amen!
With that said, Pope Francis seems to be “softening up the soil” for what appears to be – absent fervent prayer and God’s subsequent intervention – an almost inevitable move toward acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle into the teachings of the Catholic Church.
This affects millions of brothers and sisters in Christ across the globe, many of whom have already taken issue with the more liberal-minded movement of the Vatican over the years (e.g., perceived abortion tolerance, statements seemingly in support of socialism, environmentalism, and now the blessing of same-sex couples). By the way, these shifts in doctrine and teaching are not unique to Catholicism, as one need only look at the current state of the United Methodist Church to see that sexual sin and biblical “cherry picking” are alive and well in the Protestant church!
The bottom line is that: 1) the bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible word of God (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Proverbs 30:5); 2) the bible clearly identifies sin, which includes sexual and marital deviations from God’s plan for mankind, and tells us to flee from it (see 1 Corinthians 6:18); 3) the bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23), and are deserving of death; 4) the bible makes it clear that those who (habitually, intentionally, unrepentantly) practice sin shall not inherit the kingdom of God (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10); and 5) only those who believe upon the name of Jesus shall have their sin washed away by the blood of the Lamb, and have eternal life in heaven, in the very presence of God Almighty (see John 14:6 and Romans 10:9-13).
Let’s pray that the moral compass of all Christian (including Catholic) faith leaders would have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear the will of the Lord, and that they would have the moral courage to rightly discern the truth of the scriptures (see Hebrews 4:12), with the center of it all being Jesus Christ. Let’s also pray that the sanctity of human life and the standard of marriage between one man and one woman would never be defiled or denied for the evil one’s bidding, wittingly or unwittingly (see Genesis 2:21-24).
Here are the above-referenced scriptures:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Proverbs 30:5 (NKJV)
“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.”
1 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV)
“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”
Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
John 14:6 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Romans 10:9-13 (NKJV)
“…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the [s]cripture says, ‘[w]hoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved [emphasis mine].’”
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Genesis 2:21-24 (Amplified Bible)
“So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man He made (fashioned, formed) into a woman, and He brought her and presented her to the man. Then Adam said, ‘[t]his is now bone of my bones, [a]nd flesh of my flesh; [s]he shall be called Woman, [b]ecause she was taken out of Man.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh [emphasis mine].”
Praise Jesus forevermore!