Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) denounces gay marriage, cohabitation and promotes chastity

[Better Believe It]

Pope Benedict XVI denounces cultural shift toward gay marriage in U.S.
By Alessandro Speciale
March 9, 2012

VATICAN CITY(RNS) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (March 9) denounced the “powerful political and cultural currents” that are working to “alter the legal definition of marriage” in the United States.

The pope also echoed bishops’ concerns over their battle with the Obama administration on the contraception mandate. “Threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship” in the United States, he said, “need to be addressed urgently.”

The pontiff also challenged the bishops to act more incisively against the “widespread practice of cohabitation,” which is not only “gravely sinful” but also “damaging to the stability of society.”

The church, he said, must do more to promote the “virtue of chastity” in a society that “tends to misunderstand and even ridicule” it.

Read the full article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/pope-benedict-xvi-denounces-cultural-shift-toward-gay-marriage-in-us/2012/03/09/gIQAs6bh1R_story.html

Based on his personal experience Mr. Ratzinger may be an expert on chastity (no evidence of child abuse has emerged) but not so much on marriage, gay or straight. Sex and marriage is unfamiliar territory for him. BBI

[izquierdista]

1. Another virtue he should promote

The virtue of silence.

[Initech]

15. Amen to that.

[appal_jack]

29. Note - continued Nazi tendencies

Note that Rat-zinger's positions about homosexuality and reproductive freedom are still identical to Hitler's.

Godwin's law does not apply when one is speaking of some one who was in the Hitler Youth, and now continues to promulgate Nazi positions from a position of power & influence.

-app

[xchrom]

2. I don't know that he's unfamiliar w/ sex.

It looks - so far - like he's unfamiliar w/ sex w/ children.

Other than that - he can kiss my ass.

[Angry Dragon]

3. ..........

for the pope

[hifiguy]

4. So the world should take advice from

a celibate old man who dresses like a Tudor-era drag queen might have (no offense to drag queens), belonged to the Hitler Youth, and facilitated/covered up the sexual molestation of thousands of children. Yeah, there's moral authority for yez.

[Better Believe It]

7. I don't care what you say about this picture. The pope does not dress like a drag queen!

[hifiguy]

10. I dunno. This looks like something Elizabeth I

might have worn.

[white_wolf]

25. He seriously looks like Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars in that pic.

Unlimited power!

[joeybee12]

5. Fuck him...nt

[NightWatcher]

8. Excuse me but the proper response is. "fuck that nazi"

[joeybee12]

11. Couldn't we be more personal?

Address him by his proper name, Ratzi the Nazi?

[Arugula Latte]

6. Enjoy your Church's slide into irrelevancy, asshole.

[bluestate10]

9. I am a Protestant. I don't follow the man. nt

[UnseenUndergrad]

27. I sure don't

As someone baptized Lutheran, taught in the Greek catholic and RC pariochal systems and is seriously thinking of High Church Anglicanism or the United Church of Canada... The solution I've observed is to just wait for the next papal election.

[appal_jack]

13. Enough already!

“Threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship” in the United States, he said, “need to be addressed urgently.”

And that, Mr. Rat-zinger, is exactly why I won't be taking any advice from a medieval, religious, patriarchal, former-Nazi 'leader' about how my secular, egalitarian, and democratic nation should be governed.

-app, an ex-Catholic

[LiberalFighter]

16. he thinks it was okay throughout history for the Catholics to restrict religious freedom & worshi

to the Catholic religion.

I'm sure he wants the Catholic religion to the the mandatory religion of all countries and be the one to crown all the leaders in each country.

[The Magistrate]

14. The Chief Of a Pedophile Ring, Sir, Should Keep Silent On Morality

Ratzinger orchestrated the covering-up of complaints against priests, including intimidation of their victims, and the maintenance of perpetrators as clergy in good standing with access to further child victims. Any street pimp has more moral stature than this creature.

[HockeyMom]

17. He was NAZI in his youth

Does anything more need to be said?

[backscatter712]

18. Thus he grew up to become the Popenfuhrer!

All hail Pope Maladict!

[dimbear]

19. Remember the unbroken chain of custody descending from St. Peter?

http://queerhistory.blogspot.com/2010/03/pope-julius-iii.html

One of the links.

[HeiressofBickworth]

20. Hey!

Show some respect for the future President Santorum's boss.

Joking aside, that's the one question asked of JFK and has never been asked of Santorum -- what role, if any, will the Pope play in his administration in the event he should be elected. JFK made a statement that Santorum said made him want to vomit. Does that mean Santorum would inject the Pope where JFK said he wouldn't?

[Better Believe It]

21. Good point. Santorum should be asked that question. Is the media really that lame to ask it?

[HeiressofBickworth]

26. Yes, the media is that lame.

But the question should be asked by someone. The media won't do it, his live audience questions are either known before hand or shouted down if one slips in. Santorum has a website but would never entertain answering such a question. So, it seems that there is no way to ask it.

[Johonny]

22. when was the holy trinity replaced by Unitedhealth Group, Wellpoint and Kaiser?

if an argument over insurance coverage threatens worship at your church then Chasity and widespread practice of cohabitation aren't the worst of your gravely sinful problems.

[Major Nikon]

23. Meanwhile priests are still diddling children

What an asshole.

[FLAprogressive]

24. Joey Ratzinger, the ringleader of the world's largest organized pedophila ring....

[Better Believe It]

30. In Spain, pope stresses traditional family values

In Spain, pope stresses traditional family values
Benedict XVI addresses issue of gay marriage
Associated Press
March 8, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI hammered away at traditional family values during a visit to Spain on Saturday, challenging a Socialist government that has angered the Vatican by instituting liberal reforms such as gay marriage and fast-track divorce.

Many Spaniards have drifted away from the church in the three decades since the fall of the Gen. Francisco Franco dictatorship, under which it enjoyed special privileges.

Spain has passed from being a bastion of Roman Catholicism to a predominantly lay society in less than a generation. Statistics show that while 80 percent of Spaniards still call themselves Catholics, only 42 percent believe in God and 20 percent go to Mass.

The Vatican seemed irritated that Zapatero (Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero) was not planning to attend a papal Mass on Sunday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13763874/ns/world_news-europe/t/spain-pope-stresses-traditional-family-values/